The Second Atlantis Machine
by Yugismpuzzle
Summary: Final Chapter Uploaded! The first time Hitomi went to Gaea, it was to stop the dreaded Atlantis Machine, but now there’s another one! How can someone fight an enemy when the enemy is someone you love?
1. Wishing

**A/N: Hi everyone. This is my first fan fic and I hope you like it. Please review. If I don't get any reviews I will get discouraged and think you hate it and I'll never right again! *pout* Anyway, I know this chapter is short but I don't feel like writing anymore if you don't like it!  
OK, I'll stop blabbing now.  
Enjoy!!   
Behold the power of the Bunny!**  
( \ _ / )  
( =':' = )     _'I have power?...Cool!'  
c(")_(")  
  
**Disclaimer**: I don't own Escaflowne. If I did, Hitomi never would have returned to Earth!  
  
**Chapter One: Wishing**  
  
_'Why did it have to start raining now?_' Hitomi Kanzaki thought to herself as she looked up at the dark clouds looming ever closer. She was really looking forward to track practice after hearing Mr. Troxel drone on and on for an hour about Newton's law of Motion. The sky had been threatening rain all day long, but none had come. It wasn't until the track team just started their warm-ups that the flash of lightning and the clash of thunder came, bringing a shower of tiny raindrops upon their backs.  
_"Everyone inside!" Yukari, the track team's captain called, "Practice is cancelled. I'll see you all next week."_  
Hitomi took one more look at the sky before opening her umbrella. She breathed a sigh, heaved her backpack onto her shoulders and began to walk home.  
_Now what am I supposed to do for the next two hours? _she thought to herself.  
_'You could study for that math test you have tomorrow'_ said a nasty little voice inside her head.  
_Shut up  
'Make me!'_  
_Fine…_And with that, Hitomi put on her headphones and turned her walkman on full blast.  
_'Unfair...'__

  
**_"I'm standing on a bridge  
I'm waiting in the dark  
I thought you'd be here by now  
  
There's nothing but the rain  
No footsteps on the ground  
I'm listening but there's no sound  
  
Isn't anyone trying to find me  
Won't somebody come take me home..."_**  
  
_'You miss him, admit it.'_ The little voice was back again.  
_I thought I told you to shut up_.  
_'You can't shut me up. I AM what you are THINKING!'  
Oh...right...  
'Admit that you miss him. It's been over two years. It's ok to want to see him again. You're not doing anything wrong.'  
I know...  
'...so...'  
Alright, I admit it...I miss him...a lot  
'There. Feel better?'_  
Hitomi pulled her jacket closer around her as a cold breeze brushed past her.  
_Oh, Van. I miss you so much._  
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
On another planet, a young man with raven black hair could bee seen lying in the grass, watching the Fanelian sky go from yellow to bright pink, crimson red and finally into inky blackness. Fanelian sunsets were always wonderful to watch, but he wished that he could share it with someone. He began to finger the pendent hanging around his neck as he thought of the one person he wanted to be with.  
His dark red eyes filled with wonder as he thought about that girl from the Mystic Moon, who saved Gaia, the heroine of the Great War, and the woman he loved.  
_'Hitomi, please come back...soon'_  
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *  
Hitomi had been walking for about 20 minutes when she finally came up to her house. It was when she reached out to open the gate that it hit her.  
_'Something doesn't feel right'_ she said to herself.  
_*Flash*Hitomi felt a sharp pain in her chest. Flash. A single, white feather drifted slowly towards the ground and landed in a puddle of blood. The feather was glowing…_ **(A/N: Yes, that was a vision.)**  
Hitomi inhaled sharply and blinked a fair few times. The rain had stopped but the sky was still as cloudy as ever. The gate she had reached for was now wide open.  
_'Did I just have a vision?'_ Hitomi pondered, _'The last time I had a vision, I was on Gaia. What does it mean?'_  
The feeling of uneasiness didn't leave her as she approached her front door, in fact, it got worse.  
Hitomi went to put the key in the door when she noticed shards of broken glass littered the floor. The front door was already open. The uneasy feeling in her stomach quickly turned into panic when she took a step inside her once organized house. Drawers were open, papers littered the floor, every piece of furniture was out of place.  
Hitomi's heart jumped as she heard the front door slam behind her. She turned around sharply to see a man in his late twenty's standing before her, eyes crazed and full of malice.  
"Boo..." The man whispered.  
Hitomi sensed that someone was behind her, but before she could turn around, the butt end of a gun hit her in the head and she fell into darkness...  
  
  
**A/N: That's it. That's the end of chapter one. Sorry it's short but I want to leave you in suspense. *grins devilishly* Review or I won't write anymore. Flames are welcome. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I promise to answer all of them in my next chapter. I promise the next chapter will be better, and hopefully longer. This is just a test to see if my story is worth reading. Until next time,   
See ya...**


	2. Signs

**A/N: Wow. I got five reviews!!! Thank you all for reviewing. I finally posted my Bio so read it when you get a chance. There are the responses to my five fans who reviewed: **

**Bluefirechik:** Hey Haven. Thank you for not using my real name. I would have been really angry. Thanks for reviewing. Look, it's another chapter! I got four other reviews besides yours so I promise to keep writing. See you in two weeks!

**Sakura**: But I love making people be in suspense! *grins devilishly* As for "who's that guy", you'll see in this next chapter. Ta ta for now…

**Salor Vega:**Thank you for the review. Personally, I always thought I was a bad writer but I just thought of an idea and started writing this. I'm glad you like it.

**Revia:**Yup! It's a cliffie. I promise to write as much as I can *too heck with homework* Thank you for reviewing. I really do appreciate it.

**Anime_luver**: No it's not Dilandau *Darn, why didn't I think of that? Oh well* I can't seem to figure out how to put Dilandau in my story. Any suggestions would be much appreciated. 

**Again, special thanks to everyone who review(s)!**

**Disclaimer:  _Today I have Jessy from Team Rocket to do the disclaimer. So Jessy, do I own Escaflowne?_**

**-No**

**_That's right. Question: Will you ever cut your hair?_**

**-Never. My hair has been my best friend since child hood.**

**_Right…Can I cut it?_**

**-No**

**_Please?_**

**-NO!**

**_Fine, be that way. *snaps finger. Dilandau appears out of nowhere with a flamethrower at hand*_**

**_Muahahahahaha._****_ Burn!_ *Sets Jessy's head on fire***

**-Ahhhhhh! *runs around in circles* SOMBODY HELP ME! MY PRECIOUS HAIR IS ON FIRE!**

**_Ok, that's enough. *snaps finger. Dilandau disappears and is replaced by Sakura holding her wand and a clow card*_**

**_Water card._****_ Put out Jessy's head. Release and dispel!_ *Water completely drenches Jessy's head, putting out the fire. Jessy's head is almost completely bald except for a few wisps of hair***

**_That's better, now, on with Chapter Two!  _**

**Chapter Two: Signs**

Hitomi woke up and found herself lying on the cold concrete floor. She struggled to open her eyes but they seemed to weigh at least ten pounds. She tried to sit up when the back of her head exploded in pain. She moved her hand to where the pain was coming from but found that she couldn't reach. After much struggling, she was finally able to open her eyes. Both of her arms were tied to two different objects: a water heater and a pipe that was sticking out of the wall. Taking a quick glance around the room, she could see that she was in an empty basement. A single flight of wooden steps lead to a door that was ajar. Through this door was the only light source Hitomi had. 

Hitomi closed her eyes again, the effort of keeping them open overbearing her. Ignoring the pounding of her heart and the throbbing of her head, she strained her ears to listen to the conversation coming from the open door.

 It sounded as if there were two men, one man had panic in his voice, the other full of hatred and malice.

"Now what are we going to do? She wasn't supposed to come home this early." Came the panicking voice. 

"No shit Sherlock." Said the menacing one, "You said she doesn't get home till 4:00 Tuesday through Friday. Today is Friday and she crashed our heist at 2:00!"

"She _usually_ comes home at 4:00; at least she has been for the past three weeks. Maybe the weather made her change her plans."

_'They were watching me?'_ Hitomi thought, '_I had no idea…'_

The men upstairs continued, "So what are we going to do with her? Give her back?" the first asked timidly. 

 "No, you baka. If we give her back, she'll turn us in to the cops!"

So what do we do then?"

The second one paused for a moment, and then said in a deadly calm voice, "Kill her."

Hitomi immediately felt the familiar panic pierce her body. Without thinking of the consequences, Hitomi pushed aside all of the pain she was feeling and screamed at the top of her lungs. 

"Somebody Help Me! Please!"

"Oh shit, she's awake." The two men came crashing down the stairs, the second one close behind, pausing to turn on the basement light.

"Someone Help!" Hitomi bellowed.

"Shut up, Bitch!" Said the first.

"NO!" Hitomi retorted, "Can Anyone Hear Me? Please Help!"

The first man silenced Hitomi with a blow to her stomach, knocking the wind out of her. Hitomi tried to catch her breath but went into a coughing fit. She hunched over, wheezing and coughing until a tiny trickle of blood could be seen coming out of her mouth.

The first grinned maliciously, bent down to one knee, and lifted Hitomi's face to his. Hitomi nearly passed out again as the putrid smell of alcohol hit her like a ton of bricks. Hitomi forced herself to look into his cold, blue eyes. 

_'He was the one I saw before the other hit me in the head.'_

He smiled, revealing yellow, rotted teeth, but Hitomi never left his gaze.

"You've got guts, but even guts won't save you. But your mouth might." He glanced at the droplets of blood on Hitomi's slightly parted lips. He leaned toward her and whispered in her hear, his breath sending chills down her spine, "The longer you stay quiet, the longer you stay alive." He pulled back, stared at her for a moment, and then kissed her roughly on her mouth, sucking the blood off of her lips. He stood up to leave, enjoying the look of terror on Hitomi's face. 

The two kidnappers walked up the stairs, turned off the light, slammed the door, and left Hitomi in the dark.

Hitomi was in shock. She couldn't move. She couldn't explain the pain she was feeling, physical and emotional. All she knew was that she wanted to get away. She didn't want to be alone, in the dark. She wanted to be with someone, anyone, anywhere but here. Hitomi leaned against the wall and let her head drop as she fell into an uneasy sleep.

_*Flash* Hitomi heard a loud explosion. At the same time, she felt something rip through her chest. A single white feather drifted down and landed in a puddle of blood. The feather was glowing…_

Hitomi bolted upright. It took her a moment to realize that her surroundings were not a part of a dream. She had hoped so much that she would wake up in her bed and realize that this was just a nightmare. 

She then remembered why she woke up.

_'The vision again,' _Hitomi thought, _'What does it mean?'_

Nothing made sense. Hitomi couldn't think strait. '_None of my previous visions caused me physical pain. Why is this one hurting me? And what about the feather? What could the feather mean?' _

And then it hit her.

"Van!"  She whispered. 

Hitomi felt the first surge of hope in a long time.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Lord Van! I'm back!" squealed a cat girl with short pink hair.

"Merle!" exclaimed Van as she attached herself to his arm, "How was your trip to Asturia?"

"Oh, it was wonderful. Celena showed me all the sights and took me everywhere! She's quite the tour guide."

"I'm glad you had fun." Van said, not too convincingly.

Merle looked up at her childhood playmate. She could tell something was bothering him.

"What's wrong?" she asked eyes full of concern. 

"Nothing!"

"You're lying. I can always tell when you lie. I know you better than you know yourself." Stated Merle while stomping her foot.

Van smiled. He should have known better than to hide anything from Merle. To her, he was an open book.

"What's wrong? What happened?" Merle persisted.

"Nothing happened…" Van began, "…it's just…My advisors are pressuring me more than ever to marry and produce an heir, but…" 

Van didn't need to explain the rest. Merle knew what was going on inside his head.

"Those jerks! Why can't they take a hint?" Merle grumbled.

"There's something else." Merle looked up at him as he continued. "Something happened last night."

"What?"

Van fingered the jewel hanging around his neck, "The pendent started glowing, and for a moment, I thought I felt something."

"What did you feel?" Merle persisted, handing on to every word.

"Pain." Van paused and looked up at the Mystic Moon, Merle following his gaze. "I think Hitomi's in trouble." Said Van in a worried tone.

"What kind of trouble?" asked Merle, matching his tone of voice. 

"I wish I knew…"

**A/N:  Ha Ha. Another cliffie. Hey, at least this chapter is longer than the first. I love torturing Hitomi and Van! Its sooooo much fun! *grins* I'm going to be doing a lot of this throughout the story, so if you don't like it, tough!!! I apologize a thousand times if I miss-spelled anything. I tried my best. Please review or I will stop writing and I'll keep all my wonderful ideas inside my head. **


	3. When Visions Become Reality

**A/N: I GOT REWIEWS!!! YAY!!! Just so you people know, the more reviews I get, the more inspiration I have to write. *hint hint* Here are the responses to my reviewers for chapter two:**

**Yukina-chan**- Yes, "life" was a typo. It was supposed to be "light." Thank you for pointing that out. Oh well, I haven't quite figured out how this computer thingy works. Don't feel bad about long reviews. I LOVE LONG REVIEWS! It made me feel so good that I had a sudden burst of inspiration and wrote a large chunk of Chapter Three. I was going to split this chapter into two shorter chapters, but because you asked for a longer chapter, I'm giving you one. It's all thanks to you. I know how it feels to be waiting for a new chapter so I'll be writing as fast as I can, as often as I can. *to hell with homework!* I will try to put Dilly in this story, somehow…Just for you. Thanks for the review and enjoy!

**Daddyz-girl**- Hello "baka," *wink wink* Well you begged for me to read it too you, so I let you get a preview of Chapter Two. But, this here chapter is one YOU HAVENT SEEN so, have fun! See ya in a few…Baka!

**Japanimejo-** I will continue. Thank you soooo much for reviewing. It's nice to know people out there actually like my story. Thanks for the hug!!!

**Anime_luver**- Sorry, kidnapper isn't Dilandau. I don't even have names for them! Oh well. You get the picture. They are evil men! Grrrr……

Ciao ^_4

**Kat-Tastrophe**- The guys in Hitomi's house were robbers. They kidnapped Hitomi, to answer your question. Thanks for the review!

**Dilandau-is-My-Boyfriend**- Hello girlfriend of Dilandau. I told you your teacher would like your project. Hee hee…As for longer Chapters, I'm trying to make them long, it's…just…not…happening…Ahhhhhh….Grr….Ya know its funny, us talking online instead of picking up the damn phone and punching a few numbers. Oh well. Se ya in 1 ½ weeks!

**Revia**- Your review didn't die! Yippee! I like your reviews. I'm glad you like my story. Yes, I thought guys in a basement would be creepy. And don't worry about Van, he is coming…Say no more here…Just read!

**A/N: Well that's all for the reviews. *pout* I want more. One of these was from a friend of mine and another was from my sister. *Can you guess which ones?* Prizes to the one who answers this question in their reviews correctly. *See how desperate I am to get reviews* OK, no more staling. Here is Chapter Three, enjoy!**

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne *HA! Now you can't sue me! Or da bunny!*

 ( \ _ / )

(= ':' =)       _"Who…me?"_

c(")_(")

**Random saying:** While finishing this chapter, my brother and I got into a fight. After a while, I hit my head against his knee. He then started complaining that his knee hurt. Honest to God, the first words out of my mouth were, "Yea? Well my head's fragile…I'm still a baby…" LOL!!!

**Chapter Three: When Visions Become Reality **

_*Flash* Hitomi heard a loud, echoing explosion as she felt something rip through her chest. A pair of brilliant white wings flashed and disappeared, revealing a single, white glowing feather. The feather drifted downward and landed in a puddle of blood…_

Hitomi awoke from her dream, eyes wide and breathing deeply. Taking a look at her surroundings, she could see more than she could the night before. The basement where she was being held captive wasn't completely empty as she thought. All along the walls were un-opened boxes, an old couch, a spare refrigerator, and a book case completely devoid of any books. Instead it was filled with sporting equipment. Directly above the book case was a small, rectangular window where light was flooding through.

Hitomi tilted her head slightly to the left to check her watch.

'11:45 AM' it read.

'_Wow. I've been sleeping for a long time!_' thought Hitomi.

Above her, she could hear the footsteps of her two kidnappers. She didn't know who they were, and she didn't want to know. More than anything, she wanted to escape and find out what her vision was trying to tell her. Something inside her told her it was important. The only thing she knew for certain was that Van was involved. She was positive about that now. He was the only one she knew of who had white wings like the ones in her vision. 

The part that didn't make since was the blood. Whose blood was it? It couldn't be Van's. She knew that much. When the feather landed in the blood, it started glowing, so the blood couldn't be Van's.

So whose was it?...

Hitomi was so deep in thought that it took her a while to realize that voices could be heard beyond the window. Children's voices. They were playing, screaming, laughing.

'_If I can hear them, maybe they can hear me!' _thought Hitomi hopefully_, 'But if the kidnappers hear me scream for help again…Oh well, I'll have to take the risk. It's better than just sitting here waiting to be killed.' _

With her mind made up, Hitomi began her pleading.

"Hello? Is somebody out there? Please help me!"

Above Hitomi, she could hear the thundering of footsteps as the two men in the house rushed down to the basement. Hitomi began to panic.

"Somebody help me! Please! I've been kidnapped! Get me out of here!" 

The basement door crashed open and the two men rushed down the stairs.

"HELP!" Hitomi bellowed.

"SHUT UP!" the men said in unison.

One man with fire in his eyes swung at Hitomi's face with his fist. Then again. And again, until the second grabbed the mad man's arm and restrained him.

"It's not time, yet." He said, his voice cold as ice.

The mad man turned to follow his companion back up the stairs, paused, then ran back and kicked Hitomi full force in the chest. Hitomi cried out as she heard several ribs crack. 

"Filthy bitch." He spat and he turned and left, slamming the door behind him.

Hitomi was nothing more than a crumpled heap. She could taste blood in her mouth mixed with bile, both acidic and sweet. Hitomi took short, quick breaths to minimize the pain in her chest. She knew that she had a few broken ribs and that her face must resemble that of a plum after the blows dealt to her face.

Pain. Both physical and emotional. Despite the immense physical pain, she couldn't help but think about the emotional pain. 

_'Why…_' she thought, _'…why are they doing this? How could someone kidnap a person they don't even know and hurt them like this? Why…'_

Hitomi curled up into a ball as tears flooded down her face.

"…help me…someone…help…" she cried in an inaudible whisper.

Little did she know that someone could hear her silent cry…

 **(A/N: I was going to end the chapter here but I changed my mind thanks to Yukina-chan! See what happens when you _*REVIEW!*_)  **

                                                    * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Van! Look!" Merle cried, pointing to the pendent hanging around his neck. 

Van looked down and gasped at what he saw.

"It's doing it again." Van exclaimed, "It's glowing."

"Do you think Hitomi's in danger again?" Merle said in a worried tone.

"I'm not sure."

Merle looked around at the deserted field they were in. She was thankful that she and Van were alone; otherwise they would look very strange. The King of Fanelia and a cat girl looking very intently at a glowing stone on a chain which was now hanging between them.

"Wait a minute! I feel something!"

Merle's gaze returned to the pendent.

"Do you hear that?" Merle asked, her ears twitching.

"What?"

"That voice…" said Merle, ears still twitching periodically.

_"…help…"_

"Help!" Merle said suddenly.

"Help what?" Van asked, slightly confused.

"No, the voice! It's saying '_help'"_

"I don't hear it."

"Just listen" snapped Merle.

Both Van and Merle closed their eyes and concentrated on trying to hear something, anything. 

_"…help me…someone…"_

"I hear it!" Van said suddenly. "It sounds like Hitomi."

Van was suddenly struck with a sharp pain in his chest.

"Van!" Merle cried as she saw Van collapse onto the ground, clutching his chest.

"It's Hitomi. She's in pain. I can feel it."

_"…someone…anyone…help me…"_

The light of the pendent started pulsing, brighter then softer, then brighter again.

_"…someone…help…"_ came Hitomi's voice again, except now it was severely muffled.

"Hitomi, come back!" Merle cried.

"Hitomi, hold on. Please!" Van said, hoping in vain that Hitomi could hear him.

The pendant's light began to grow dim. And with a last flicker, it went out.

The pain in Van's chest subsided and he was finally able to stand. He looked into Merle's eyes to see tears running down her face."

"Are you…ok?" Merle choked out.

"I'm fine." He said simply, "It's Hitomi I'm worried about."

Van looked up at the Mystic Moon handing in the sky. He wondered what could be hurting Hitomi so much. When he heard her voice, he could feel what she was feeling. Not just the pain. He felt fear. Where ever Hitomi was, she was frightened, and apparently alone.

_'Why isn't anybody helping her?_' Van thought.

"I've got to try to reach her." Van said out loud.

Van bent down to pick up the pendent that had fallen out of his hands. He held it in the air in front of him, the bright jewel glistening in the sunlight. Van closed his eyes and thought about one thing and one thing only.

_'I want to reach Hitomi'_ he thought, _'Please, take me to where ever she is._'

Van and Merle stood in the field for over an hour, Van repeating one phrase over and over again, like a chant.

_'Take me to where Hitomi is.'_

But Van's wishing was in vain. 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hitomi remained alone in the basement for several hours. Her stomach ached from both hunger and the pain from getting kicked in the stomach during the first night she spent in her kidnappers' house. 

The sun had set below the horizon before she dared to move. One of her kidnappers had left about 20 minutes ago to get a pizza. She slowly stretched out her legs, trying to hold back the scream of pain that was tearing at her throat. Once her legs were outstretched, she took several small, quick breaths. 

_'After what happened earlier, they're probably going to kill me soon'_ thought Hitomi, _'I wonder of those kids heard me screaming earlier.' _

As if to answer that very question, Hitomi heard the doorbell ring upstairs.

*Ding Dong*

Hitomi remained as still as she possibly could and tried to hear who was at the front door this late at night. She heard the door open.

"Hello?"

"Hi, I'm Diana. I live across the street and my son was playing around outside with his friends earlier over here."

"Ok…"

"Well, he told me that he heard someone screaming for help inside this house. I wanted to know if anyone was hurt or anything."

_'Someone did hear me!_' Hitomi thought.

She tried to scream "I'm down here!" but it came out as a soft whisper. She couldn't speak.

_'No, not now.__ Please…_' she thought, cursing herself.

"Oh, that!" the man upstairs continued, "That was my younger sister earlier. We were playing around and I was tickling her when she started yelling, 'No, please…stop.'

"Oh…"

"You know…We were just playing around. We didn't mean to worry anyone."

'_Bastard!_'

"Oh, ok. I'm sorry I disturbed you. I just wanted to make sure nobody was hurt or anything."

"It's no problem."

"Oh, well. Goodnight to you."

"'Night."

Hitomi heard the door shut and then she heard footsteps as he approached the basement door.

_'Oh God.__ He's going to kill me now. I just know it!'_

The basement door opened revealing the silhouette of a man.

"You're mine!"

Hitomi panicked.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Van was in his bedroom with Merle, listening to her tell him about her trip to Asturia, in an effort to cheer him up. Merle thought it was working when in reality, Van was feigning interest. His thoughts were on Hitomi. Hearing her voice for the first time in two years, and hearing how small and frightened she sounded was like putting an arrow through his heart.

"Van!" came Merle's voice.

"I'm listening!" was Van's automatic response.

"No you weren't. Anyway, that's not what I meant. Look at the pendent!" 

Van looked down to see the pendent glowing again.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

As the man with the mad eyes approached Hitomi, she painfully retracted her legs in anticipation of the oncoming blows. The man took a few running steps and kicked Hitomi's legs with all his strength. He smiled as he heard her cry out in pain.

"You like that? How about some more?"

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Van!" cried Merle as she watched Van collapse onto the ground, clutching his legs.

"Not again…" struggled Van, "…please…Hitomi. What's happening to you?"

_'Why isn't anyone helping her?'_ Van thought desperately as he felt her pain, fear, and loneliness.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

After kicking Hitomi several times, leaving her legs bleeding and badly bruised, the mad man finally stopped. He smiled at the work he had done. Hitomi was nothing more than a broken body. 

"I don't care what he says," the man thought aloud, "I'm going to end this now!"

The man walked over to the book shelf filled with sporting equipment and carefully picked out an aluminum baseball bat.

Hitomi looked up when she heard him walk away. She saw him pick up his choice murder weapon. Fear gripped all her senses.

_'Oh God.__ This is it. I'm going to die…'_

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~*

The pendent began to glow brighter than ever. Merle couldn't even look at Van because of its intensity. Then, out of nowhere, an echo of Hitomi's thoughts could be heard coming form the pendent.

_"…oh God…this is it…this is the end…He's going to kill me…"_

"Hitomi!" Merle cried, "What are we going to do Van?"

Van did some fast thinking. _'I was able to reach her before by flying towards the Mystic Moon. Maybe it will work again.'_

"I've got to save Hitomi." He said firmly. With that, he grabbed his sword and headed out onto the balcony. Van stepped onto the railing, took off his shirt, and spread his wings. He was preparing to take off when Merle held him back.

"How are _you_ going to reach her? We tried earlier to bring _her_ here. What makes you think _you_ can go _there_?" said Merle with fearful eyes. 

"All I have to do is believe that I can reach her, and I will." He gave his companion a soft smile, "Don't worry. I will be back, _with Hitomi." And with that, he took off into the night sky. _

With the pendent glowing as brightly as it was, Merle thought that Van _did_ look like the angels Hitomi used to talk about. Merle watched Van fly towards the Mystic Moon when suddenly a pillar of light engulfed him.

_'Hitomi.__ I'm coming.' _

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hitomi watched the man take a few practice swings in the air. It was obvious that one hit to her head would kill her instantly. The man, satisfied that he would pack enough punch to kill someone, slowly walked toward Hitomi. The whole scene seemed to happen in slow motion. Each step he took echoed in the dark basement. The grin on his face, the fire in his eyes was enough to give anyone nightmares for a week. When he was three feet from Hitomi, he stopped and pointed the bat in the direction of Hitomi's head.

"Please…Don't do this." Hitomi pleaded.

The man took one more practice swing in slow motion towards her head. "One…" he said, tauntingly.

"Please…Don't…"

"…Two…"

"Someone…help…" she whispered.

In an instant, the entire basement flooded with light, blinding both Hitomi and the man. When the light dimmed, Hitomi could see the silhouette of a young man with large wings protruding from his back, a sword at ready.

_'It couldn't be…Van?'_

The bright light flickered out revealing a man with raven black hair and blood colored eyes holding a sword bearing the Fanelian crest. He only needed one glance to see that the man in front of him was the cause of Hitomi's pain. Van's eyes filled with rage.

The mad man took a bold step forward, "Who the hell are you-" He never finished his sentence. Quick as a flash, Van raised his sword and charged at the man, decapitating him. Instant death. _'More than he deserved.' Thought Van. He cut the restraints on Hitomi's wrists and allowed her to fall forward onto him. He was startled when he could feel the broken bones in her chest. He gave Hitomi a firm but gentle hug._

"Please, tell me this isn't a dream." Hitomi requested as she allowed the familiar scent of the field engulf her.

"It's not a dream." Van said gently, stroking the small of her back. "You're safe now, with me."

Hitomi wrapped her arms around his strong chest, ignoring the pain, and absorbed the warmth radiating from his body.  

How long they sat there, embracing for the first time in a long time, neither of them knew. All Hitomi knew was when she finally opened her eyes, she saw something that made her heart jolt. Standing in the basement doorway was the second kidnapper, back from his errands, staring in disbelief at Van, gun pointing directly at him. 

"Van! Look out!" she yelled, pushing him off to the side.

Hitomi heard the explosion echo off of the walls and felt the bullet rip through her chest. Van, not aware of what had just happened, sent a wave of energy in the mans direction, tearing his flesh apart. (**A/N: Just like in the movie when Van killed the horse.**) When he turned back to face Hitomi, he nearly collapsed at what he saw. Hitomi was lying on the ground, her own blood gushing out of her chest. Fear was in her eyes. 

"NO!" Van yelled as he ran to Hitomi's side, cradling her limp body in his strong arms.

"Hitomi, say something!" Van cried, trying to hold back the tears.

Hitomi looked strait into Van's pain stricken eyes. 

"…lo…u…" she tried.

"What is it?" Van said leaning in closer.

"…I…love…you…" she whispered.

"No…please Hitomi. Hold on. I'll get you to a doctor. Everything will be alright."

"…I'm…sorry…" she whispered as tears fell down her face.

"Hitomi! Please fight it. Just let me get you someplace safe…"

Van was cut off when another pillar of light engulfed his body. As he began to lift off of the ground, he panicked when he realized Hitomi wasn't coming with him. 

"No! I'm taking her with me!" Van called out. To whom he was speaking too, he wasn't sure.

He tried to grasp her hand, but the more he tried to hold on, the more he lost his grip. Van reaching for Hitomi's hand was like trying to connect two positively charged magnets, they repelled each other. Hitomi too tried to hold on with what little strength she had, only to get the same effect as Vans body was rising up and away. 

Tears finally fell down Van's face when he saw Hitomi's arm go limp and her eyes close. Then his entire being was engulfed in light as he was carried away.

When the light in the basement disappeared, all that was left was a single, white feather as it drifted downward and landed in a puddle of Hitomi's blood.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"Hello? 9-1-1? I think I just heard gun shots across the street. You might want to send an ambulance to check it out…"

**A/N: That is it for chapter three. At least it is longer. I was going to split this chapter into two chapters but I decided not too. That is why this update took a little while. Don't worry. Hitomi isn't dead. I'm not going to kill her this early in the story. Hee hee!!! *grins mischievously* It may take a while for the next chapter. Don't worry. I'll try to get an update within the next week. Review Or I WONT POST ANY MORE CHAPTERS!!!!!! And all of you will have to use your imaginations to find out how this ends. This is probably going to be a long fic, so you are in for a real treat. Until then!!!**

**Adios!!!**

**P.S.******

**If any of you know of any Japanese words, please tell me them in your reviews!!! Muchas Gracias!!! **


	4. Realization

**A/N: Domo Arigatou to all those who sent me Japanese words. I truly do appreciate them. This chapter isn't very exciting but I think I was a bit too long since my last update so I figured, better to have a shorter chapter now and a new one coming soon. Gomen a thousand times if I miss-spelled anything. Here are the responses to my reviewers (please review! I'm begging you!!!):**

**_Revia-_** Gomen. Van isn't coming back…yet. I haven't quite decided on that. Again, gomen a thousand times for my spelling mistakes. Ahhhh……I'm not good at this!!! *runs in a corner and cowers* I'm doing my best! *sniff* Once again, Gomen. This isn't an incredibly exciting chapter but I figured you might like a shorter chapter now rather than a slightly longer one later. By the way, I hope you had fun watching your…operation…thingy. Please don't stop reviewing. Your reviews mean a lot to me. Arigatou.

**_Dilandau-is-My-Boyfriend-_** I already talked to you about Not My Kind. Anyway, I hope you enjoy my chapter. I miss you already. *sniff* By the way, I let our brother borrow "Over my head." I hope he likes it. Tell him I love him. And tell him I said so on-line where everyone in the world can read it!

**_Japanimejo-_** Domo Arigatou for all the new words. I'm going to be taking Japanese as my foreign language next year and these words may help. Enjoy the next chapter. Ja ne.

**_Anime_luver-_** Muahahaha…….I can do it because I am EVIL!!! Well, not really. I just love torturing them. He he he…Thanks for the stars. Ja ne. 

**_Kat-Tastrophe-_** Gomen a thousand times for miss-spelling your name. I will keep writing, otherwise I wont hear the end of it from my sister. Domo arigatou for all the new words. If you have more, I'd really appreciate them. Enjoy this next chapter. Ja ne. 

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Escaflowne. I don't even own my own brain. I'm borrowing this one from a friend. 

**Chapter Four: Realization **

When Hitomi opened her eyes, a bright white light was all around her. When tried to move but her whole body was numb. She could feel beings moving swiftly all around her.

'Is this heaven?' Hitomi thought, 'Where…Where are you, Van?' 

Everything around her was a jumble of noise. Hitomi couldn't understand what the voices were saying.

 "OK, what have we got here?" said a voice.

"Neighbors heard a gunshot and dialed 9-1-1. When the ambulance arrived, they found three bodies. The man behind us appears to be decapitated with an unknown weapon. The man behind him was somehow cut to pieces then strewn all over the place. This girl here is the only survivor. She suffered one gunshot wound. This is the entry wound and here is the exit wound. She has three broken ribs, one fractured rib, a fractured jaw, and several lacerations and bruises."

"OK, let's get her to ICU, stat!" 

Hitomi fell back asleep with no memory of the conversation she had just heard. 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Merle sat on the balcony, staring at the Mystic Moon for nearly 15 minutes when the pillar of light re-appeared in the distance. Merle's heart gave a huge leap when she was able to make out the form of Van, flying back towards her. It wasn't until he flew closer in range that she realized Hitomi wasn't with him. Merle took several steps backward to allow Van to land and retract his wings. He looked so different from the Van she had just been talking to a little while ago. When he had left, his eyes were filled with hope. Now, they were filled with despair. His once clean sword and body were now stained with blood. Merle could make out three different peoples blood with her nose. Two of which she was unfamiliar with, but the majority of the blood on Van's body definitely belonged to Hitomi. Merles hypersensitive nose and ears never lied. 

Merles eyes began to swell up with tears. "Is she…dead?"

Van wasn't sure how to answer that question. The last image he saw of Hitomi suggested that, yes, she was dead. Yet, somehow, he sensed that she was still alive.

"I don't think so." Was the best Van could come up with. "She's badly hurt, but I'm sure she's still alive. I can feel it."

Van turned his eyes towards the Mystic Moon. Merle was about to ask why Van didn't bring Hitomi back with him, when he answered the unasked question.

"Why couldn't I bring her back with me?"

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

*Knock Knock* (**A/N: Who's there?** _I don't know you tell me._ **I can't.** _Why not? **I'm blind. _Oh…)_**_

"Enter."

"Your Highness…"

"Rise and report, soldier."

"Two pillars of light have been spotted within the past hour."

"What!? Where?"

"In Fanelia."

"Damn! It was King Van wasn't it?"

"Yes, Highness."

"That basterd. He's trying to bring the seeress back to Gaea."

"It appears so, but when he returned to Gaea, he was alone."

"Alone? So, he was unsuccessful with his rescue attempt."

"That's correct."

"Well, were not out of the water yet. King Vans stubbornness is known throughout all of Gaea. He'll try to reach the seeress again. We'll just have to make sure he is wed to Princess Calysto before then."

"Your orders?"

"Send some of our negotiators to pay a visit to King Van's advisors."

"As you wish, your Highness."

"We must convince them that a marriage between King Van and Princess Calysto would benefit Fanelia. It is vital to our plan that they are wed before King Van finds a way to bring the Seeress back form the Mystic Moon. Otherwise, he will marry her instead. You are dismissed."

*Door closes*

"King Van _will_ marry my daughter. Not that accursed witch."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

As soon as Yukari heard the news report that Hitomi Kanzaki had been found and was in critical condition, she was out the door in a heartbeat and running as fast as she could to her friend Amano's house. Both Yukari and Amano had organized search parties and alerted the media of Hitomi's kidnapping after Yukari had found Hitomi's house in a wreak and several drops of blood on the floor. 

Yukari's heart raced as she fought to keep up her speed. She could feel the adrenaline coursing through her veins and the wind whip at her short red hair. There was only one thing on her mind as the world around her turned into a blur of color. 

'I've got to tell Amano.'

She cursed at herself for letting her friend Sakura borrow her car for the weekend.

'Only a couple more blocks…' Yukari thought hopefully.

She was quickly reaching a point where she would have to make a sharp right-hand turn. Not wanting to slow down, she grabbed a pole with a street sign labeled "Cherry Blossom Lane" and swung around and started running in a new direction. But before she could let go of the pole, she realized too late that a man running just as fast as she had been was right in front of her.

CRASH!!!

"Unko!" Yukari cursed as she rubbed her head furiously in an effort to rid herself of the throbbing that had begun in her head.

"Why don't you watch where you're going you big…Amano?" Yukari had finally opened her eyes and saw that the man she had crashed into was indeed Amano. He slowly sat up, wincing slightly to see Yukari staring at him in disbelief. 

"What are you doing here?" Yukari asked.

"I was coming to find you. Did you see the report on the news about Hitomi?"

"Hai. I want to go and see her and make sure she's ok."

"Same here. Let's get going."

Amano stood up and gave Yukari his hand, which she took. Yukari suddenly looked up at him.

"Wait a minute! Where's your car?"

"In the shop. Yours too?"

"No. I let a friend borrow it for the weekend." Yukari said with a sigh, "I guess its back to the primal form of transportation." 

"What's that? Running?"

"No! I meant taking a cab."  

Amano know that Yukari was only joking and trying to add a little humor I a stressful situation. That's what he loves about her. Always the optimistic. 

Knowing full well that ordering a cab would take too long, both Yukari and Amano started running, although not quite so fast as before, towards the hospital. 

**A/N: Ha! I finally got to write a tiny part about the "evil people" in Gaea (Hee…hee…evil…..Bunny!). I realize this is a short chapter but I have once again hit a bit of a writers block. I figured that you all would prefer one short chapter now then a slightly longer one a lot later. I promise to update as soon as I can. This past week has been a bit hectic! The cause of my writers block may be from the lack of reviews. You don't even have to give me your name, just say, "Hi, I read it and I love/hate it." And I will be happy knowing that more than 6 people on this planet are actually reading my story. Special thanks to my sister (DIMB) and to my very good friend who I will name "Baka." (You know who you are.) Sorry people. It's a little joke we have. **


	5. Decisions

**A/N: Hi everybody! Gomen a thousand times for that incredibly short chapter last time. Lucky for you, after writing it, I finally got rid of my writers block! *Waves banners in the air and throws confetti. Some of it threatening to land in some of her chocolate ice cream.* NOOOOOOO!!!!!!! *makes a dive to protect her precious ice cream* MINE!!! YOU CAN'T HAVE IT!!!! IT IS MY…..*pauses to think for a moment*……my precious! HEH…HEH…heh! **

**Van: _Um…excuse me but I think they have had enough of your insanity. I think they just want to know about the next chapter._**

**OH! Right. But first, here are my responses to the reviews (There aren't very many since I'm updating this chapter so soon *pout* )  :**

**Anime_luver: **I'm sorry for the short chapter last time but this one is a bit longer. I hope you like it. Try not to run too much in the future. Lol!

**Revia: **Hey! It's _me again! Thank you for not stopping your reviews. (Did that make any sense? LOL!!!) Thank you for being a "nifty little helper" when it comes to my **pathetic** spelling. As for being hyper….I LOVE BEING HYPER. Just read what I wrote above. Do you think I was anything BUT hyper when I wrote it? BEING HYPER ROCKS!!! *Three cheers for the hyper people* I sure hope you did well on your calculus test. I'm about to take an algebra test which could make or break my grade. But I try not to worry about that. Domo Arigatou for the Japanese words. They fit my puzzle perfectly! I really appreciate it. Well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Ja ne. _

**Sprout: **Hey ya sprout. I'm glad you like my story. *Hurray, I hooked myself a new reader* You're the first new reader I've had in a long time. It's nice to know somebody out there likes my story. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Ja ne. 

**Kat-Tastrophe:** Ha! I spelled your name right! Wheeee…..I'm really hyper right now, in case you haven't noticed. Thanks for the new words. I'm looking for specific words for a crossword puzzle I'm doing. If you know any of them, please tell me (they are listed at the end of the chapter). I'd really appreciate it. Enjoy the next chapter. Ja ne.

**Disclaimer: Yup! I own Escaflowne. I own Merle and Yukari and Amano and even the little pink necklace.**

**            Van: _And if you believe any of that, you are more insane than she is._**_ ***Looks behind him to see a girl spinning around in circles, curling her hair with her fingers…all of them! While singing, "WHEEEeeeee…..La, la, la, la, la…….LA!*      *Van sweat drops* **_

**Chapter Five: Decisions **

When Yukari and Amano arrived at the hospital entrance, they could see a crowd of reporters with cameras. 

"Geeze Yukari! What did you do? Inform every news station on the planet?" Amano joked while poking her on the shoulder.

"No…" Yukari blushed. "How are we supposed to get through this?"

"I suppose we could ask…" Amano carefully walked towards the crowd and started tapping on peoples shoulders. "Excuse me, but, could you please move…" but nobody heeded him. He then tried to gently push some of them out of the way, only to be shoved backwards until he was once again on the floor. He looked up to see Yukari howling with laughter.

"Hey, I tried…"

"…Yes…You…Did!" Yukari gasped as she stifled her laughter.

"Don't make fun of me." Pouted Amano while making a puppy dog face.

"No! Don't! That's cheating!!!" Yukari bellowed while trying not to look into Amano's glimmering eyes. "Alright! Fine. You win. I'll stop." 

"Thank you." Amano immediately snapped out of his puppy face and put on a serious look. "Now, how are we going to get inside to see Hitomi?"

Yukari turned around looking for anything or anyone to help them get past the reporters when she spotted a hotdog stand. *Light bulb*

"Hey, Amano. Let's go get a hotdog."

"A hotdog?"

"Yea. With ketchup!"

"Ketchup? Yukari, this isn't the time for a hot…oh!" Amano saw the devilish gleam in Yukari's eyes. "Let's do it!"

"Everyone out of the way! I need to get this girl into the hospital!" Amano screamed while carrying Yukari's limp body in his arms, a red substance dripping down her face. A few reporters turned around to see who had shouted. When they saw the girl that he cradled in his arms, they jumped out of the way as he sprinted into the crowd. Reporters then shouted at each other. "Everybody move! This man needs to get that girl into the hospital." Almost immediately, the large crowd parted as Amano dashed through. As soon as he was in the front door, the crowd cheered and whistled for the brave young man.

Meanwhile, Amano and Yukari were laughing their heads off. After several minutes and even more nasty glares from other people mumbling about making too much noise, Amano and Yukari managed to settle down.

"Well, it worked." Said Yukari as Amano placed her feet back on the ground. "We're in."

"Yup. Now, let's find Hitomi."

They walked over to the receptionists' desk and waited for her to acknowledge their presence. When the receptionist looked up and saw Yukari's face, she nearly screamed.

"You shouldn't be standing! You should be in the ER!"  

Yukari looked puzzled. "What are you talking about? I feel fine." Amano then tapped Yukari on the shoulder and pointed to the mess of ketchup still on her face. 

"Oh…" Yukari wiped the lot of ketchup off of her face and looked at the mess now on her hand. She turned to look back at Amano. "You don't happen to have any fries, do you?"

"Um… no."

The receptionist now looked a little peeved. "If you're not really injured, may I ask what you're doing here?"

Amano suddenly looked very serious. "Yes. We'd like to see our friend, Hitomi Kanzaki. We were told that she was found and sent here, to this hospital. We really need to see her!"

"I'm sorry, but no visitors are allowed until her guardian comes to see her."

"But they're not here!" Yukari cried, "They're on a business trip in Canada. They tried to fly here early but all flights were canceled because of the bad weather over there. You have to let us see her. We're her best friends. We just want to make sure she's ok."

The receptionist looked from the red head's pleading eyes to the young mans stern face, trying to decide whether or not to believe them. 

"Alright." She caved. "Ms. Kanzaki is in room 213 Level 2. But I warn you.  She may not be awake yet. Try not to disturb her." 

Yukari looked as if she were on the verge of tears. "Thank you so much." She turned to Amano. "Let's go." Amano nodded in response. 

As much as they wanted to go and dash to Hitomi's room, they knew better than to run in a hospital. So instead, they walked quickly towards the elevator that would take them to Level 2. Amano pushed the elevator button labeled "2". As the elevator rose, Yukari bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. Just before the door opened, Amano grabbed Yukari's arm to prevent her from dashing out.

"Don't worry. Everything will be just fine." He said in a soothing voice. 

"I hope so…"

The elevator door opened and the couple stepped out and walked along the long white corridor. Time seemed to play tricks on them as they passed each door. 

..205…207…209…

With every echoing step, time seemed to slow down even more. Yukari swore that she could hear her heart beat echo off the walls. 

..211…213…

Finally, they arrived. Room 213. Yukari's hand shook slightly as she grabbed the door handle, turned, and pushed. Both Amano and Yukari took a step inside the room. There were two large windows in the front, flooding the room with white light. In the corner was a television set that was turned off for the moment. When Yukari looked to the left, she could no longer hold back the tears. On the hospital bed was Hitomi, white as a sheet, tubes sticking out in every possible direction, and several blood stained bandages. Yukari gave a sob, and then turned around to cry on Amano's shoulder. Amano gently patted her on the head but never took his eyes off of Hitomi. It pained them both very much to see their friend the way she was. She seemed so…weak…fragile. Two attributes that didn't belong to the Hitomi he knew. The Hitomi he knew was strong, funny, and kind. Well…except when it rains. He wasn't sure why, but every time it rained, she would become lost in another world. What that other world was, he didn't know…for sure, that is. 

After several minutes in which Yukari cried her poor little heart out, she finally turned back around to face her best friend. Both Amano and Yukari pulled up a chair on either end of Hitomi. Yukari carefully reached over to touch Hitomi's hand. She was startled to feel how cold it was. Yukari took Hitomi's hand and placed it inside both of hers in an effort to warm it up. Amano was about to follow suit when he noticed that Hitomi's other hand was clenched into a fist. And something was inside it…

"What's this?" Amano said out loud.

"What's what?"

"Hitomi's got something in her fist."

"What is it?"

"I don't know. Let's find out." Amano gently tried to pry open Hitomi's fingers, but as soon as he made a small gap in which he could barely see the object, Hitomi's hand clenched into a fist again. Hitomi stirred slightly and mumbled something before falling back asleep.

"…Van…"

"What was in her hand Amano?"

"A feather."

"A feather?" Why is she holding a feather?"

"I was hoping you could tell me." Came a voice that didn't belong to either Amano or Yukari. Standing in the doorway was a stern looking man wearing a black and blue uniform. The man took a few steps into the room and extended his hand towards Yukari and Amano. "I'm Officer Ripley. I am the investigator for Ms. Kanzaki here." Amano shook the officer's extended hand. He then turned towards Yukari. "Nice to see you again, Ms. Uchida."

"Likewise."

Amano looked confused. "You two have met?"

Yukari turned her gaze towards Amano's face. "Officer Ripley was the one when filed the report when I reported Hitomi's kidnapping." 

"Yes, but this is no longer just a kidnapping. This is a murder case." The officer replied.

"A murder case? But…How can that be? Hitomi's alive, in case you didn't notice!" exclaimed Yukari. 

"Yes. She is alive. But her kidnappers were not so lucky." Officer Ripley stared into the two confused faces. 

"The kidnappers are dead?" gasped Yukari. "How?"

"One of them was decapitated. The other was _literally torn to pieces." Yukari winced as she heard this._

_'No more than they deserved!'_ thought Amano. "How can someone be _torn to pieces?"_

"That's exactly what I came here to find out. I'm going to ask Ms. Kanzaki that very question as soon as she wakes up which, according to Dr. White, should be within the hour."

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

It had been two days since Van had gone to the Mystic Moon, but it felt like it had just happened a little while ago. The last image he saw of Hitomi flashed across his mind, over and over again, like a nightmare. He wished with all his might that he could go back to the Mystic Moon and see Hitomi again, but his wishing was in vain. And unfortunately, for the moment, he needed to push aside all his worries about Hitomi and concentrate on his duties as a King. His advisors had called for another meeting which was supposed to start any minute. At the moment, Van was standing directly behind the double doors that would lead him into the council chambers, trying to stall as long as he could. He didn't want to go in there. He already knew what they were going to say.

_'You need to wed a princess…'_

_'…It's for Fanelia!'_

_'You mustn't stall any longer. Other countries are getting restless. An arranged marriage with one of their princesses would ease the tension between us and bring Fanelia to a new age of prosperity.' _

_'…Please, King Van…Do it for Fanelia!'_

Van was sick and tired of hearing this phrase, "Do it for Fanelia." He knew how to run his country. He knew of the tension between Fanelia and the surrounding countries, especially the country Cyrce. And, unfortunately, he also knew that his advisors were right. Marrying the heir of Cyrce, Princess Calysto, and forming an alliance would definitely be the best move for Fanelia. But it wouldn't be the best move for his heart…

There was a reason why Van hadn't given up hope on finding Hitomi. He wanted her to come back to Gaea _quickly_ for a reason. He needed to ask her a question. He needed to ask her_ the question. The question he should have asked a long time ago when he realized his feelings for her…_

But for now, he needed to push that aside. Taking a deep breath, he opened the doors and stepped into the chamber. Immediately, everyone stood up in respect and waited for the Kings signal to sit down. Van waved his hand quickly, and they were seated. He walked to the head of the table and sat down in a dignified manor. Before he spoke, he took a quick look around. To his left and right sat six men, three on either side, dressed in red and black attire, the Fanelian crest emblazoned on each of their chests. 

"Today's meeting called by the royal advisors will now officially commence."

The second man to his left stood up. "I'd like to begin, your majesty. Yesterday, we received a notice from the queen of Cyrce. She says that if an alliance cannot be made, she will have no choice but to declare…_war on Fanelia."_

"What?!" Van roared.

The third man to Van's right stood to speak, "Please King Van. An alliance _must_ be made. We mustn't risk another war after we have finally found peace."  

"The best alliance that can be made is the union of you and Princess Calysto."

Van was shocked._ 'Well that response came a little too quickly_. _Before, they didn't care who I was wed too, just so long as I found a queen, but now they all seem so hell bent that I marry Princess Calysto.'_

"Please King Van. Accept their marriage proposal…"

Silence. Van had a huge internal debate going on inside his head. If he denied their proposal, Gaea may go through another Great War, and that was the last thing anyone wanted. If he accepted, all of this could be avoided, and everybody would be happy. Accept him… If he married another, then he wouldn't be able to ask Hitomi if she would…

But that was selfish. Risking the lives of countless innocence for his own personal desires. No. He had stalled this wedding thing long enough. He couldn't any longer. _'I'm so sorry…'_ Van wanted to scream and just run away. But he couldn't. _'I'm so sorry…' It took nearly all of Van's strength to stand and say these simple words._

"…I…accept. Make the necessary arrangements. Now, if there is nothing more to be said, this meeting is adjourned." 

With that, Van made his way out of the chamber. On the outside, he seemed confident, calm, and relaxed. But on the inside, his heart was breaking with every step he took. In his mind he kept repeating the same phrase, over and over again.

_'Hitomi…I'm so sorry…'_

**A/N: That is it for this chapter. Don't worry, my writers block is officially GONE! So, my next chapter should come soon!!! This chapter isn't exactly action packed, but I felt that this story was getting a bit too depressing, so I added a little humor. Hope you all liked it!**

**I have a request to all those who know more Japanese words than I do. I'm doing a crossword puzzle and a big chunk of it is words in Japanese. I've done as many as I can, but I am officially stuck. Please help me. These are the words in English:  "Seven"(4 letters) – "Sea"(3 letters) – "Excuse me"(9 letters) – "Elephant"(3 letters) – "Ice"(5 letters) – "Flower"(5 letters) – "Wolf"(6 letters) – "Wind"(4 letters) – "Nine"(4 letters) – "Autumn"(3 letters) – "High School"(9 letters) **

**Any and all help will be appreciated! Ja ne!!! **


	6. Best Friends Forever

**A/N: Hello Personages!!! I know I said that this next chapter would come soon, but my teachers must have heard that I had extra time on my hands and they all piled a mountain of homework on me. I swear it's a conspiracy   -__-  I was hoping to get a lot of stuff in this chapter but I didn't have a lot of time, so I'm giving you what I have so far. **

**And here are the responses to the reviews from the previous chapter (everyone who reviews gets a response):**

**Daddyz****-girl- Hi "baka" you reviewed just in time for this chapter. I haven't talked to you in a while. By the way, I read the "Bronco High" and I was really confused on that last chapter. As I said in my review, you are going to have to explain that one to me. Well, I'm tired and I want to go to bed, so, just read this chapter already. Ja ne. **

**Japanimejo****- Thanks for the review. There is a little more happiness in this chapter. I won't call it comedy cause I don't think there is any. Oh well. I hope you like the chapter anyway.**

**Dreamer516_: Hurray!!! I hooked another reader. No need to apologize. The words you gave me were a great help. Domo Arigatou!!! Thanks for reading my fic. Enjoy the next chapter._**

**Kat-Tastrophe: Ha! I'm STILL spelling your name the Right way. Thanks for the new Japanese words. With any luck, my crossword puzzle will be done soon! Thanks for reading/reviewing. Ja ne. **

**Revia: ESCAFLOWNE SOUNDTRACK ROCKS!!! I listen to it all the time. Also, I know exactly which song you're talking about. *attempts to make trumpet sounds* Doo…do…doo…do…do…do…doo…do…doo…Oh great, now I'm gonna have this song stuck in my head all day long. *starts humming* Oh well…I'm glad I wrote Van's character the right way. I was afraid I was going to make him seem a little…weak. It makes me feel a lot better knowing that I portrayed him the right way. And as for the fork… (Hee…hee) …A fork won't be able to get rid of her, sorry to say. She's staying. *cowers* don't worry! There is a good reason why I'm keeping her, although, once you figure it out, you may want to hunt ME down with a fork. *digs a hole in the ground and jumps in. Waves white flag in the air* About the ketchup part, I didn't write that, unfortunately. A friend was proof reading it and when she reached that one part, she told me to put in the thing with the fries! Uh…oh. I think my Math teacher has figured out that I'm not actually doing my work. Got to go. Enjoy this next chapter!!! **

**Disclaimer:** **Ok. Today I have Pikachu, the famous electric Pokemon to do the disclaimer. So, Pikachu. Do I own Escaflowne?**

**Pikachu:** _Chu__._

**What was that? I didn't understand you.**

**Pikachu:** _Cha…pika._

**……*sweat drop*……..**

**Pikachu:** _pika…pikachu!_

**Ok. Try to say this: 'You don't own Escaflonwe'**

**Pikachu:** _cha pika pika chu._

**Listen, I just need you to answer this one question. DO I OWN ESCAFLOWNE?!**

**Pikachu:** _Chu__._

***sigh*Never mind. Let's just get on with chapter six.**

**Pikachu:** _About time! I've been waiting forever for this chapter to be updated!_

**-_- *sweat drop***

**Chapter Six: Best Friends Forever**

Walking down a stone hallway, decorated with blue tapestries, was a woman dressed in a fine silver gown.  This was Princess Calypso Siren, the most beautiful woman in the country, and the heir to the thrown of Cyrce. Although she didn't show it, Princess Calypso was on alert. Every once in a while, she would take a quick, unnoticeable glance behind her to check to make sure she wasn't being followed. She was worried. _Our plans to forge an alliance with Fanelia took way too long. There were too many setbacks to be just a coincidence. There must be a traitor among us. But who could it be…_

She had stopped walking when she came to a giant wooden door. Taking a couple more glances up and down the hallway, she knocked on the door several times.

"Enter."

She slowly pushed the door open, stepped inside and carefully closed the door behind her. Inside this room was only one occupant. Queen Elizabeth Siren, ruler of all Cyrce. 

"Mother, we have received a message from the negotiators you sent to Fanelia."

"And? What do they say?"

"They say that King Van has accepted the alliance proposal. Wedding arrangements are being made as we speak."

"Excellent. Are you ready for this."

"Absolutley. The power of Atlantis _will be ours."_

"Has King Van been able to bring the girl from the Mystic Moon back to Gaea yet?"

"No mother."

"Good. Everything is going according to plan…" 

_Outside the door, a cloaked woman was listening to the secret conversation… _

*** ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ ***

"Good afternoon, Sleeping Beauty."

Hitomi's eyes fluttered open at the sound of her best friend's voice.

"Hey, Yukari…" she whispered. Hitomi took a quick look around the room. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital." Came Amano's voice.

"Hospital? Why…how…" and then she remembered. A flood of memories of the past events swarmed inside her mind. Her house in a mess, the buglers, being trapped in a basement for almost three days, the sound of children's voice's playing outside, the baseball bat, the gun, her visions, and…Van. She saw Van. She remembered how he had killed those two men. How she made him swear that this wasn't a dream. After that, all she could remember was light. A brilliant white light…

"I realize that this has been a terrible ordeal for you, but I need to ask you a few questions." Hitomi looked past Yukari and saw an older man dressed in a police uniform.

"That's alright officer…"

"Ripley. Officer Ripley. Let's just get this over and done with so you can get back to resting. Ok…" he took a deep breath and cleared his throat, "Thursday, after school, you go home early because track practice was cancelled. Will you please continue from there?"

And she did. She told him everything that she could remember. Officer Ripley had to trade places with Yukari at Hitomi's side because she couldn't speak any louder than a whisper. Everything was going fine until she reached the part where Van made his big entrance. 

_'I can't tell him about Van. He'll think I'm crazy, or that Van was responsible for the kidnapping. Oh well. I'm just going to have to leave him out of the story.'_

"…ok. So far I've got that after the woman at the door left, the man came down to the basement to kill you."

"Yes…um…then, the other guy came home and stood in the basement doorway holding out his gun. Before the first guy could finish me off, he shot me with the gun, and…I…then I blacked out. I don't remember anymore."

"That's it? You don't remember anything on how the kidnappers were killed?"

Hitomi tried to look surprised at the news, "Killed? I don't remember _them_ being killed. Who did it?"

The officer breathed a sigh, "I was hoping _you would be able to answer that question." _

"Sorry I can't help more…"

"What about the feather?" the officer interrupted.

"Feather? What feather?"

"The one in your hand. You were found at the scene with a feather in your hand."

Hitomi then realized that her left fist was clenched, and there was something inside it. She lifted her hand and opened it, and out fell… a feather! A single, white, beautiful feather. Hitomi picked it back up and starred at it in awe.

"So, where did you get the feather from?" the officer persisted, hoping that the feather gave some clue to who had killed the two kidnappers. Little did he know that this feather _was a clue…_

"Oh… this?" Hitomi was doing some fast thinking, "I…uh…it… it's my good luck charm!"

"Good luck charm? So, you've had that feather all along?" the officer asked.

"Um…Yes."

"Oh. Ok. Well, that's all the questions I have for now. In the meantime, you had better get some rest." Officer Ripley stood up to leave. "It was nice meeting you."

"Bye." The three chorused as the officer left the room. 

Yukari sat down in Hitomi's right side and took her hand once more. She seemed to be deep in thought.

"Yukari, what's wrong?"

"The feather, it was Van's, wasn't it?"

Hitomi felt a jolt go down her stomach. "How did you know?"

Amano spoke up. "We heard you call his name while you were asleep." Hitomi blushed slightly. "We still remember what you told us, about that time when Van took you to Gaea. I know you don't talk about it much…"

"I didn't think you two believed me." Hitomi interrupted.

"Of course we believed you." Yukari cried, "You are our best friend. How could we net believe you? Especially after seeing that dragon…"

"Thank you. Both of you. You're the bestest friends anyone could ask for."

Amano carefully brushed some hair away form Hitomi's face. "You should get some sleep. You look tired."

"Wait." Yukari said suddenly. "Hitomi, could I borrow that feather for a while? I promise I'll give it back."

"What are you going to do?"

"It's a surprise…" she said with a mischievous look on her face. 

"Ok… just be careful with it."

"I will. I promise. Now, get some sleep."

"…ok…" Hitomi didn't know what Yukari was up to, but she trusted her best friend with all her heart. She smiled to herself as she fell back into a blissful sleep.

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"Amano, will you stay with Hitomi?"

"Why? Where are you going?"

"It's a surprise…" and with that, Yukari was out the door.

Yukari could be seen walking down the busy street, staring intently at the feather in her hands. She knew haw much this feather meant to Hitomi, and that was exactly why she wanted to borrow it.

"Ah… here we are." Yukari had reached her destination. It was a jewelry store that made custom made jewelry. Yukari pushed open the door and heard the tinkling of a bell above her. 

"I'll be there in just a minute!" shouted a woman upstairs. Yukari took the opportunity to take a look around. All around her were jars and buckets of different colored beads, rocks, jewels, shells, and pearls. Upstairs, Yukari could hear the woman bustling about, obviously searching for something.

"I may take a while, dear." The woman called. "What is it you needed?"

"I wanted to know if you could make a necklace for my friend with this feather on it."

"A feather, you say? Yea, I can do that, no problem. Go ahead and pick out some stones and beads to decorate the necklace. I'll come down in just a sec."

"Arigatou!" Yukari called. She walked over to the counter and picked up a plastic cup to keep the beads in. She then made her way to the corner of the store that had hundreds of different colored stones. She spent the next several minutes picking out stones that would go on the necklace. By the time she was done, she had several stones inside her cup: crimson red, light brown, hot pink, cerulean blue, honey colored yellow, one stone with white and black swirls, a glittering gold stone, a shiny silver stone, and one larger green stone that matched the color of Hitomi's eyes. _'Perfect! I think I got everyone in there…'_

"Did you find your beads, miss?" The woman had finally come downstairs. 

"Um…yes, I think I did." Yukari walked over to the woman and handed her the cup with the stones inside it. The woman pulled out a tray and dumped the stones into it. "I was wondering if it is possible to take this feather and place it _inside_ that large green stone." 

"Yes, I can do that."

"Really? That would be so great."

"Would you like the other stones to be evenly spaced on either side of the feather?"

"Yes. That would be perfect. When do you think it would be finished?"

"Well, I don't have anything to do at the moment, so, I'll get started on it right away. It should be done in about two hours."

"Domo Arigatou!" _Hitomi is going to love this…_

                                  * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

"You agreed to what!?" shrieked Merle after Van had told her that he was engaged to Princess Calypso. 

"I told you. I didn't have a choice." Defended Van. "If I didn't agree to this marriage, Fanelia and Cyrce would go to war. As much as I care about Hitomi, I can't ignore the fact that I would be risking hundreds of innocent lives if I said no. It was the only way… the only way…" Van's voice trailed off.

"Where are they?" Merle snapped. 

"Where are who?"

"Those lazy cheap advisors of yours. Where are they? I swear I'm going to rip out their throats the next time I see them." Merle had hoped that this last statement would win over a smile, but it didn't. _'Poor Lord Van…' Merle thought. After a long while, in which neither of them said anything, Merle broke the silence. "It's not fair." Merle took a seat next to Van on his bed and wrapped her arm around his. _

"I know…" Again there was a very long silence in which neither of them even moved. Several minutes passed by when Merle whispered a single word, filled with disgust.

"Politics…"

                                * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

After about two hours of walking around the streets, idly looking at windows but not really seeing what was in front of her, she returned to the jewelry shop. The young woman who had helped her before was now playing on her Gameboy, a look of deep concentration on her face. Lying beside her was a square box. After a few minutes during which Yukari stood patiently at the counter, the woman shouted, "DAMN! I LOSE _AGAIN_!" At this point, the woman realized that she was not alone in the store. She looked a little embarrassed.

"Heh…Sorry about that…I…um… found my Gameboy and…well… once I start playing, I really get into it."

"That's no problem." Yukari laughed. "I just came to see if the necklace was ready."

"Huh? Oh, yes, that. Yup. Finished it about ten minutes ago." The woman finally put down her Gameboy and brought the square box in front of her. Slowly and carefully, she raised the lid and Yukari gasped at what she saw.

"Perfect…" 

"You know, its funny, but while I was making that necklace, I thought I was going insane."

"Really? Why?"

"Well, I could have sworn that the feather started glowing while I was working on it."

"Uh… well that's strange. Oh well. Thanks anyway." Yukari paid the woman and walked out of the store with the box inside a plastic bag. _'I sure hope Hitomi likes her birthday present…'_

Two days past and Hitomi was _finally able to go home. She had talked to her parents on the phone and they were relieved to hear that Hitomi was safe and sound. However, they were still stuck in Canada. Ice had frozen over the runway and no matter what they did to it, it kept on freezing over again. Still, she was glad that she would be able to return to something that was more familiar. The cab drive was lonely and uneventful. Yukari said she had to go to work and Amano had to go pick up his little brother. When the cab stopped in front of her house, she paid the man and got out of the car, slowly. Hitomi watched the cab drive away and then turned back towards her house. As she reached for the front gate, she thought to herself, __'No visions this time…' Hitomi walked up to her front door and looked down. _'Somebody cleaned up the glass.'_ She put her key in the door and prepared herself for a messy house that would need cleaning. When the door opened, a loud explosion of voices nearly knocked her backwards._

"SURPRISE! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!"

Instead of a mess of furniture and papers, Hitomi found a mess of people and a big "Happy Birthday" banner. Amano and Yukari stepped out of the crowd and came over to Hitomi and each gave her a gently hug. Both of them had wide grins on their faces. 

"I should have known that you two were up to something." Laughed Hitomi. 

Amano averted his gaze to the ceiling and Yukari looked at the floor, both of them twiddling their thumbs innocently. 

"I didn't do anything. Did you?" asked Yukari.

"Nope. Not me." Amano smiled. "Come on Hitomi. Most of your guests can only stay for a little while. They just came to wish you a happy birthday."

Over the next hour was spent saying hello to all of her other friends and neighbors and nearby relatives. Hitomi had a huge smile on the whole time. Once everyone had left, Hitomi sat on her couch, exhausted from the days events. Yukari and Amano came to sit next to her.

"Don't you go falling asleep on us." Yukari said, "You still have to open presents."

"I'll open them later. I just want to relax."

Both Yukari and Amano looked at each other and then back at Hitomi. "Well, at least open our present."

"Oh… alright." Yukari looked overjoyed. "Why are you so happy?"

"You'll see…" Yukari dug into the mountain of presents on the coffee table looking for the one from Amano and Yukari. "Here we are." She picked out a square box with gold ribbon on it. She handed it to Hitomi. "Happy Birthday."

Hitomi placed the package on her lap and pulled at the ribbon until it came undone. Carefully, she lifted the cover of the box and looked inside. It was a necklace. But it wasn't just any necklace. The necklace had several different colored stones attached, including one large green stone that was in the middle. And attached to this stone was...

"The feather… I was wondering when you were going to give that back." Hitomi smiled.

The stem of the feather was implanted into the green stone, right through its core. On either side of the stone were several different colored rocks, wrapped in a little wire cage so they stayed in place.

"It's beautiful. Thank you so much." Hitomi was on the verge of tears. Yukari came closer and picked up the necklace.

"It's a friendship necklace. Each stone represents one of your friends. See, there are little engravings on each stone. The brown one represents Amano, the red one represents me, and the green one is you. The feather goes through the green stone as a symbol of love. I remember all of the friends you made while you were on Gaea, so, I included them also. The pink stone is Merle, the light blue stone is Allen, and the yellow stone is Millerna. And of course, I didn't forget the friends that you made that are not around anymore. The black and white one is Folken, and the gold and silver stones represent Naria and Ariya." Yukari unclasped the necklace and put it on Hitomi. When she looked into those emerald green eyes, she saw tears of joy.

"Thank you so much Yukari. And you too Amano."

"Hitomi. I know how much Van means to you. So, we just want you to know that, no matter where you go, we will always be with you. We will always be your friend."

Hitomi was a little startled. _So they knew. They knew all along…Hitomi leaned over and gave Yukari a hug. _

"Thank you." Hitomi whispered. "Friends forever?"

"_Best_ Friends Forever." __

**A/N: Wow. That was a lot more than I thought it would be. I had planned for this chapter to include a lot more cool stuff, but, I got a little carried away with the necklace thing. Sorry but I had too. The necklace is going to be very important in the upcoming chapters…… *gasp*…. Did I just give something away? (shhhhhhh…….)**

**WHY AREN'T YOU PEOPLE REVIEWING????!!!!!! *starts crying hysterically* I need more reviews! It's a simple process you know. Here, let me walk you through it. First, take your mouse and click on the "Go" button on the lower left hand corner. Second, type your name (it doesn't have to be a real name; it could be "boogers" for all I care). Third, the easiest step in the whole world is to type three little letters: "I hate it." Or "I love it!" See, now isn't that easy? *sigh* Who knows, maybe I _am_ getting a lot of reviews and I just think I'm only getting a little. A review from "baka" and D.I.M.B. wouldn't hurt. *hint hint* Sorry people, but I haven't heard from these two people in a long time and they were the ones who told me to post this story on Fan fiction in the first place. And when I don't even get a review from THEM, I get really discouraged. *pout* Oh don't mind me. My mom always says that I'm my own worst critic. My sister should know that better than most! ~_-   Any who, I have a request to people who are reading this and have the privilege of watching more cartoons than I can. *whimper* I have been assigned another crossword puzzle and I NEED HELP!!! I am pretty sure that the questions are based on the cartoon "Inuyasha." Unfortunately, I don't have cable so I can't watch this show and I have no idea what it's about. If any of you watch this show, please let me know so I can pick your brain! (with a baby spoooooooon……..heh heh…) sorry people, another inside joke… Well, that's all for now folks! Just one little friendly reminder……..REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!..........................ok…..I think you get the picture!**

**P.S.******

**Luv**** ya sis!!! **


	7. Running Out Of Time

**A/N: Sorry this chapter took so long to update. *dodges a tomato* Please let me explain! I had written the entire chapter on paper… *dodges another tomato* …but when I went on the computer to type it up, Microsoft Word wouldn't let me create a new document. So I tried re-writing another document but it wouldn't let me do that either. Three days later, I finally figure out how to fix it. So, hopefully, I won't get anymore trouble from Word anymore. By the way, THANK YOU ALL SOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR REVIEWING!!!!!!!!! Not even 24 hours after I posted my last chapter, I got 6 reviews!!!! I was so incredibly happy, that I didn't do my homework that day and I devoted the rest of the day to writing this chapter. If it wasn't for Word, this chapter would have been posted a long time ago. This just proves what I said earlier, THE MORE REVIEWS I GET (no mater how small or BIG) THE MORE INSPIRATION I HAVE = MORE CHAPTERS!!!! Pretty simple to understand, isn't it? Here are the responses to my wonderful, loving, I wish I could give them all a hug, reviewers!!!!! **

**Inda: Don't worry, I will continue the story. (I'm not about to stop now am I?) And as for killing the "Witch Queen", I haven't decided on whether or not I'm going to kill her in the end or not…. Any suggestions? Enjoy this next chapter, and please keep reviewing! They mean a lot to me.**

**Revia: THREE CHEERS FOR THE DILLY SONG *cheer cheer cheer* And as I said before, I don't think a fork is going to kill her, but Van's magical powers might! Or maybe Dilandou's flamethrower…. *evil grin* ….. sorry but I cant kill her…….. yet! I haven't quite decided if I want to kill her in the end or not. As for the "Politics" line, I got that from one of my favorite moves of all time, "Dune" and the sequel, "Children of Dune." Both of these movies are a bit long but they are sooooooo good!!!! I even have a huge Dune poster hung up in my room, right next to my Escaflowne movie poster….. *grin* …. Anyway, enjoy this next chapter. It was really nice to hear(read) from you!!! It made me very happy!   *really big grin***

**Japanime-jo: Thanks for the offer on the crossword puzzle, but I just finished it yesterday and……. I WON!!! HURRAY FOR ME!!! I won a really cool necklace that looks like something "Survivor" would use as an immunity necklace. I don't know if you watch  that show or not but I do. I have NEVER missed an episode. By the way, I will try to read your storie(s) and drop a line as soon as I can. Enjoy this next chapter.**

**Darkfaerie: I will try to remember to e-mail you in the future, misa memory is a bit bad, but thank you for reading my fic.**** I'm glad you like it.**

**Kat-Tastrophe: YOU CAN'T FINISH MY STORY, THAT'S MY JOB. *clears throat* Yes I'm calm. But hey, that threat worked didn't it, I got more reviews from this chapter than any other. Which made me very VERY happy. A little too happy if you were to ask my friends…. I'll say no more, just read the story.**

**Kwaii-Canadian: I'm afraid that two things you listed are NOT going to happen. I'm not going to say which ones, just read and find out. Tank you for reviewing!**

**InuYasha/GF1889: Hi. Thank you for reading my story. I won't say your name on-line but I know who you are, my sister talks about you all the time. I'm glad you like my story.  The necklace is a gift made of different colored stones, each one representing one of Hitomi's friends, and Van's feather. It's basically her new "pendent." The necklace will play an important part in future chapters. I will say no more. Here is the next chapter.**

**CinderellaxVan: You have no idea how loud I screamed "OH MY GOD!" when I found out you reviewed and LIKED my story. I was SO HAPPY.  *grin* As for the "Politics" line, I got that from one of my favorite moves of all time, "Dune" and the sequel, "Children of Dune." Both of these movies are a bit long but they are sooooooo good!!!! I even have a huge Dune poster hung up in my room, right next to my Escaflowne movie poster….. *grin* Anyway, I will keep writing so long as YOU keep writing. LOL. Enjoy this next chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Escaflowne. If I did, all my ideas would be made into movies! (Ha, I stole it from                          you Haven! Pay back's a bitch…… baka!)**

**Chapter Seven: Running Out Of Time**

Hitomi lie in bed, awake, gently stroking the pure white feather hanging around her neck. She tried to go to sleep, but sleep was evading her. She had a lot on her mind at the moment.

_'Well who wouldn't after what you've been through this past week.'_

It was true that the past seven days were…eventful. _'Is that even the right way to describe it? I don't want to say that it's been wonderful because being locked in a stranger's basement and being held hostage isn't exactly a holiday. However, the past week wasn't terrible either…' Hitomi lived her birthday present from Yukari and Amano, and seeing Van for the first time in… a long time gave her a new sense of hope that their love wasn't impossible after all. For the longest time, Hitomi feared that her experience on Gaea was nothing but a hallucination, but seeing Van proved otherwise. And now that she knew he really was real, she wanted to return to Gaea, _to stay_. The only thing that was holding her back was her friends and family. She didn't want to just desert them without them understanding why. But now, Hitomi knew that her friends did understand. And what's more, instead of begging her to stay, they basically are wishing her good luck._

_"So, we just want you to know that, no matter where you go, we will always be with you. We will always be your friend…"_

Hitomi was still absentmindedly stroking the necklace resting on her chest. It took her a moment to realize that it was glowing.

"What the heck?"

                                    * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

Merle strolled down the palace corridors, staring in disbelief at the decorations hanging from every window and all along the walls. Curtains of flowing white and silver cloth, the Cyrce country colors, hung everywhere like the palace was turning into a white and silver cloud. However, it wasn't the decorations themselves that caught Merle's attention, it was the fact that they were there, and so quickly too.

_'This whole wedding is happening too fast. Van agreed to this alliance proposal only two days ago, and now the wedding has already been organized for today! Millerna and Dryden's wedding didn't happen nearly as fast. They got a whole year to get to know each other before they decided to tie the knot. Ban hasn't even met this Princess Calypso, but they well be husband and wife before this day is over. Poor Van…'_

Merle turned a corner and began walking down a new corridor that headed down to the gardens. 

_'If I know Van, and I know I do, he's trying to get away from all of this.' _

Sure enough, as soon as Merle opened a pair of engraved wooden doors, she spotted him, sitting under a great tree. Merle slowly shut the doors behind her, careful not to make a sound. She tip-toed he way over to Van, hoping to catch him by surprise. Once she was only a few feet away and getting ready to pounce, Van spoke up. 

"I know you're there Merle."

Merle sighed and a look of disappointment crossed her face. "Oh pooh! I was hoping to catch you off guard for once." Merle sat down at Van's side and her heart gave a huge leap when she saw a smile on Van's face. _'About time too!' she thought. _

"I've been waiting for you."

"Really? How come?" piped Merle. Van held up an envelope and a letter. "Who's that from?"

"Allen. Apparently, he and Saria are expecting a child."

"Really!? That's wonderful news! But wait… why did they send a letter? Why couldn't they just tell you tonight?"

"They won't be here. Something came up and they won't arrive till tomorrow afternoon." 

"Oh. I'm sorry." A few moments passed where neither of them said anything. Merle finally broke the silence. "So, is that all you wanted me for?"

"No. Actually, I wanted to know how your date went with Gaddes." Said Van with a mischievous smile as Merles cheeks turned beet red. 

"That is none of your business!" Merle proclaimed stubbornly.

Van turned his face towards Merle and started tickling her side. "Oh come on. You can tell me. Please?" Van begged while Merle burst into fits of laughter.

"No…ha…ah…Never…I…ha…ha…won't…ha…tell…No…….OK!...ha…ha…I'll…tell…ha…you…ha…ha…STOP!" Van stopped and leaned back against the tree. "I win. Now, tell me everything."

"I'm not going to tell you everything!" Merle cried. Van raised his hands and formed claws in a threatening way. Merle spoke quickly. "But I will tell you that, well, I think it's safe to say that we hit it off…" As soon as Merle said this, Van jumped up and started dancing around the tree screaming, "Merle's Got A Boyfriend! Merle's Got A Boyfriend! Merle's Got A-" He never finished his third chant. Merle stuck out her leg and tripped Van when he came back around the tree and he went tumbling into a patch of ferns.

"DON'T MAKE FUN! I really like him!" Van stood up and brushed himself off."

"I know Merle. I was just joking around." After picking some leaves out of his hair, he sat back down beside Merle. "I think it's great that you've finally found someone."

"Really?"

"Absolutely. I'm truly happy for you."

Merle blushed slightly. "Thank you Van. That means a lot."

For a while the two of them sat there, under the tree, just enjoying each other's company. High above them, a cloud shifted revealing the bright morning sunlight. The sun's rays cut themselves in between the tree branches and reflected off of the pendent hanging around Van's neck, catching Merle's attention.

"Have you heard anything from Hitomi?" Merle asked timidly. 

At the mention of Hitomi's name, the familiar pang of guilt shot through his body. The guilt of loving one person but marrying another. Van took a few deep breaths and whispered his reply. "No." Van remembered his feeble attempts to return to the Mystic Moon, to see if Hitomi really was ok. He wanted to bring her back to Gaea, so he wouldn't have to go through with this stupid wedding, but, now it was too late. The wedding day had come, and in a few hours time, he would have to say _"I do"_ to someone he has never even met before, while on the inside, he would be screaming _"I DON'T!"_

Merle, knowing exactly what he was thinking, interrupted him before he drowned himself in guilt. "Do you want to try to reach her again?"  

"Yes…" Van unclasped the pendent and held it in front of him. Closing his eyes, he could see the pendent in his mind, swinging back and forth. _'Hitomi. Where are you? Please come back to me…'_

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_'Shit, I lost him.'_

She had been following Van for the past two days, since the wedding arrangements were made. Her mission: stop Van from being able to contact the girl from the Mystic Moon. But now, the very person she was supposed to be watching has managed to get away from her.

_'I've checked everywhere inside the palace…that's it. He must be outside…'_ And with that, she quickened her pace down the corridors. The first place she would check is the royal gardens. Taking several turns left and right, she finally reached the garden doors. She carefully took a peek to see if anyone was watching her before opening the doors, slowly. As soon as she stepped outside, she spotted him, sitting under a tree with a cat girl and he was…

_'…oh no! He's trying to reach her. Shit. Think…think…'_

Making up her mind, she approached the King of Fanelia…

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Merle's ears twitched as she heard footsteps coming closer and closer. _'Damn. Why can't Van even get 5 minutes peace from these stupid wedding planers?'_ Merle put her hand on Van's and lowered the pendent. Both of them shared an exasperated sigh.

"We'll try again later, ok?" Merle said kindly while trying to give Van _some_ hope to hold onto. Van nodded in reply. The both of them stood up to confront the servant girl from Cyrce. "What is it?" Van asked…

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The servant girl, after informing King Van that the cook needed his opinion on something, watched him and his cat-girl companion leave the gardens and re-enter the castle.

_'That was too close. I need to keep a closer eye on him.' _The woman looked up at the sky, checking the position of the sun. _'Only a few more hours till wedding bells ring…' _She thought with a smile.

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"No. Don't stop. Van, I'm here!" Hitomi cried. She was sitting on her bed, the necklace in her hand, yelling at it. "Van, I'm here! Please, answer me!" The feather was glowing so incredibly bright just a few minutes ago, and for a while, she could hear Van's thoughts. She could hear him calling out her name, asking for her to return to him. He was also apologizing for something. 

_'Why is he apologizing? He didn't do anything wrong. Was it for killing those men? But that wasn't his fault…Oh Van, why are you in so much pain? What's happening to you?'_

Hitomi replaced the necklace around her neck and got out of bed. She started running around her room, grabbing her track bag and throwing things inside it.

_'If he can't tell me what's wrong, then I'll just have to go to him…'_

But then she stopped. _'What about my family, and my friends…Well, Amano and Yukari understand and they will be able to explain it to my parents.'_

Hitomi sat down at her desk and wrote a quick note:

Dear Mom and Dad and Yukari and Amano,

            I'm sorry I have to say goodbye like this, but I have to go to Gaea. Van needs me and I must see him. I doubt that I will return. I love you all so much. Don't worry about me. I will be just fine.

Love Always,

Hitomi

She placed the letter in an envelope and signed her name on the front and placed it on top of her desk. She stared at it for a moment and then began packing her track bag with clothes and personal items. She wasn't in a hurry. She made sure that everything was packed neatly and was all in its proper place. She paused for a moment, staring at some photos of her family and friends that she was about to put in her bag. She sat on her bed and took a look at each one. She was going to miss them so much, but she missed Van and the others even more. But still, she wasn't in a hurry to leave either. She didn't realize that she only had a certain amount of time to reach Van. She didn't realize that if she stalled much longer she would be too late…

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Hours flew by like minutes. And already, Van was dressed in his wedding attire, standing at the end of a large red carpet, about to make the worst mistake of his life. 

_'A mistake, yes. However, it's a necessary one, in order to preserve peace…' _Is what he had been telling himself for the past hour. The hall was filled with hundreds of people from both Fanelia and Cyrce. Many women dressed in Fanelian attire were bawling. _'What do they have to cry about? They're not the ones who have to marry someone they don't love.' _He glanced at the other women, dressed in silver, Cyrce's primary color, and noticed not a single one of them were crying. They were just watching. Cyrce was known for its tough women. In fact, the country Cyrce has always been ruled by a Queen and never a King. They are also known to bear only girls. A Cyrce woman bearing a male child is almost unheard of. 

Before Van could dwell much on the culture of the Cyrce people, the wedding music began and people started coming down the isle.

_'Here we go…' _Van stole a glance back at the audience and his eyes fell on Merle. Silent tears streamed down her face, reflecting the emotion of Van's heart. It took all the strength he had to prevent himself from running down and hugging his lifelong friend and making her tears go away, because if he did, the ache in his heart would go away too. But he couldn't. The ceremony had begun, and already, the bride was walking down the isle…

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Once again, the feather was glowing brightly as ever, and Hitomi could hear Van's thoughts. She could hear his apology echoing in her ears and it tore at her very hear.

_'Hitomi, I'm so sorry…please forgive me…there was no other way…'_

"Van, I'm here." Hitomi screamed at the feather. "What's wrong, Van. You didn't do anything wrong."

With all Hitomi's might, she concentrated on Van, and only Van. _'Please, take me to him…he needs me…'_

With every passing moment, the more she thought of Van, the brighter the feather was glowing…

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"Do you, Princess Calyplso Siren, take Van Fanel to be your lofty wedded husband?"

"I do."

"And do you, Van Fanel, take Calypso Siren, to be your lofty wedded wife?"

_'No! I don't. Don't you see? I love Hitomi. Not this woman. I don't want to marry her. No. No. No…'_

"I do."

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife, King and Queen. You may kiss the bride."

_'I am so sorry, Hitomi…'_

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"Van!" With a last cry, Hitomi was saturated with light, radiating from the feather hanging around her neck. After a few moments, Hitomi felt her feet lift off from the ground, and her body soar through the air.

"Van, I'm coming!"

_Little did she know that she was too late…_

**A/N: Ha ha, another cliffy… *dodges tomatoes*… OK, WHO KEEPS THROWING THE TOMATOES? *someone stifling laughter* SHOW YOURSELF!!! …………. *crickets chirping* ………..*pout*…… Fine. Well, anyway, I have an announcement to make…………… HARRY POTTER COMES OUT ON DVD IN 2 DAYS!!!! YAY YAY YAY……. Sorry, but I had to do that. Now, I have a question I must ask, and please forgive me for my stupidity, but I need to know, what is "angst." I see that word a lot on fan fiction but I have no idea what it means…… *someone from audience pulls out a gun and starts shooting tomatoes at Yugismpuzzle* ……… GOMEN GOMEN GOMEN…..oh, let's try a different language…… IM SORRY….IM SORRY…. *tomatoes are still coming* …..Ok, now I'm getting mad……OH DILLY!!!! *Dilandou appears with flamethrower and kills woman with tomato gun* …..So it was you, Princess Calypso. I'd let Dilly here take you out but unfortunately, I need you for future chapters. **

**OK, Here is my standard review plea………….. *takes deep breath*  REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW…. *takes another breath*…….REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW….. *takes yet another breath*…REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW…… *Van is in the backround, looking at a magazine, completely oblivious to Yugismpuzzle's screaming. Van looks up and takes off headphones***

**"You know, she'll only stop if you _actually_ review. Please for my sake, _do it now_…" *replaces headphones***

**…….REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW…..**


	8. A Late Arrival

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait. I cant seem to figure out how to write this next section. On top of that, finals have started at my school and I haven't had time to write much. But don't worry, I will finish this story. Sorry for the cliffy on that last chapter. Why did I do that? Because I CAN!!! *laughs hysterically* And, why did I make Van marry that stupid idiotic bimbo of a princess? Because I can! *grins evilly* Well, not really. There is a reason why they got married. You'll just have to figure out why in future chapters. Heh heh… Oh, I think I should let you know, that I didn't mean to put that Gaddes is Merle's new love interest. Honestly, I was thinking of a new character altogether. So if you read about Gaddes in the future, don't think about the Gaddes from the Crusade! Oh, there was some confusion when I said that the people of Cyrce only bear female children and that everyone who lives there are women. No, men are not imported into the country, although that would be very funny! This part isn't exactly vital to the story, so I'm going to tell you how it works. The people of Cyrce are all women… mostly. There are a few guys but not many, and they don't actually live there. When a woman wants to have a child, they leave the county and come back to Cyrce when they are pregnant. The people of Cyrce have a stereotype that women are better than men and that they don't need them, which is why they don't have any fathers or brothers. All of the women are warriors but they are also extremely beautiful (kind of like the Amazon women). If you really want to know more about the "evil plot" here is a hint: pay close attention to the royal family's last name "Siren". Then ask yourself, "What is a Siren?" Ok, NO MORE HINTS!!!! I'M GIVING AWAY A VITAL PART OF MY STORY. Maybe I should just shut up and get on with the story before I reveal anything else… Oh yes, here are the responses to my wonderful reviewers!!!! **

**InuYasha/GF1889: *dodges tomato* OK OK! I'm writing more! And, no, I didn't cheat. I can do whatever I want with my story! *sticks out tongue* Anyway, thanks for reviewing! Enjoy this next chapter. **

**Sakura:**** Yea, I know I'm mean. But, oh well, it's fun being mean! *grin* Well, no more stalling, here is the next chapter!**

**Kat-Tastrophe****: Yes! I MUST make Van and Hitomi suffer. Why? Because it's FUN!!!!!! Hee hee… NO NO NO NO YOU CAN'T STEAL MY STORY OR I WILL HUNT YOU DOWN….somehow. And, yes I do plan to finish this story. I already know exactly how I'm going to end it, it's just getting there is the problem. Oh well, just read!*grin* **

**Revia****: You can't harm me with a silly little fork. Not while I have my handy dandy spoon to protect me. *whips out a spoon* Ha ha, now what are you going to do? Sorry I confused you about the "no men in Cyrce" thing. The whole idea worked in my head. No, they are not imports!!! But that was really funny! Thanks for reviewing. Reviews make me sooooooo happy!!!!  *really big grin***

**Darkcherry****: I'm not a horrible person, I'm a terrible person who likes to torcher (whooooo….can't spell that word) her audience with cliffy's and plot twists. Muahahahah……*gains some composure* How am I supposed to make Hitomi happy when she doesn't even realize what happened, yet. She'll find out in this chapter though. Don't worry. Just read!   : )**

**Japanimejo****: Hurray to the survivor fans!!!! I didn't win the necklace in a class. At my school, there is a Japanese Club that meets twice a week. Mostly we just learn some Japanese words and watch/discuss anime. Anyway, a friend of mine, who is also in the club, made up three crossword puzzles: one was English words that you have to translate, one was facts about anime shows, and another was entitled "people you should know." I was the first one to solve the third one. The other two were already won. Yes, I do like fluff stories. I'm sorry if this story doesn't show it, but you're right. I kind of like action/adventure a little better, but a good fluff story is needed every now and then. I don't mind long stories. I just finished this one story that was 42 chapters, I think. But it is sooooo good. It wasn't an Escaflowne fic though. It was a Zelda fic. As for how to make italics work, this is what I do. I go to "File" and click on "Save As" then go to "Save as Type" and click on the arrow, then click on "Web Page." Basically, your saving your story as a Web Page so that when you use italics, they should appear online! I hope that helps. Wow this response is long. No more stalling. Enjoy this next chapter!!! **

**Kwaii Canadian:**** *cowers* please don't kill me! There is a reason why they had to get married. Just stay tuned to find out more. Thanks for reviewing, it is what keeps me writing!**

**CinderellaxVan:**** Do you realize that you've pretty much given me the entire plot to "Nobody Said It Was Easy"? Ha…I don't know if you did that intentionally but now I know almost EVERYTHING. Muahahahaha…….. And don't you quit writing missy! *glare* or I will haunt you for the rest of my days *more glaring* YOU ARE A GREAT WRITER AND YOU HAVE GREAT STORIES. DON'T YOU DARE STOP!!!!! *even more glaring* Thanks for reading and I hope you like this next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: Yup! I own Escaflowne. Aren't I so brilliant? *loud coughing in back round* -_-**

**Chapter Eight: A Late Arrival**

Out of all the women dressed in silver for the wedding ceremony, only of them truly wanted to shed tears, but she dared not to. She was one of the few people in that great hall who saw how terribly wrong this marriage was. She had done everything in her power to post-pone this wedding, in order to give King Van enough time to bring the seeress back from the Mystic Moon.

_'If only I had gotten the fob of keeping an eye on Van for the past two days. I would have made sure that Van was left undisturbed. I would have given him all the time in the world to summon the seeress. But no…Jane got that job, not I, and now, all is lost… the Sirens now hold all the cards. They have all the keys to unlock the Power of Atlantis once more.'_

Phoebe wanted to scream when she heard the priest say, "If anyone here has a reason why these two should not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace." In her mind, she imagined dashing up to the alter and slicing Princess Calypso's neck with her dagger, then forcing Van to go to the Mystic Moon and bring back the seeress.

_'There is only one woman in this universe that should marry Van, but she is an entire world away.'_

And just like that, the ceremony was over. The hall exploded with cheers as confetti was thrown everywhere. The new King and Queen walked back down the isle together, arms linked, heading for the reception area. 

_'I've got to find a way to end this…'_

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The wedding party that started immediately after the ceremony lasted for hours. People from almost everywhere came to be a part of the huge spectacle. Van wasn't exactly in a "celebrating" mood, so he spent most of the time with Merle. At first, they both just sat at a secluded table, trying to get some privacy, but people kept coming over to try and engage him in conversation. After a while, they both decided to move onto the dance floor, so people would leave him alone. Van and Merle didn't move much, mostly, they just swayed to the beat of the music. All around them were happy couples wrapped in each others arms, dancing merrily. Merle stared at them, enviously.

_'It's not fair. They all get to have normal lives. They get to marry whom they chose. Van is the king of all Fanelia, and yet he was forced into this marriage.' _

Merle quickly glanced up to look in Van's face. He looked so calm, as if he didn't care that he was forever bound to someone he has never met before tonight. His demeanor was calm, but if you were to look directly into his eyes, you would find nothing. They were empty. _'I've got to get him out of here…'_

Merle stopped dancing and took a small step backward. "I want to get some fresh air. You want to come with me?"

"Sure."

Merle wrapped her arm around Van's as they both parted the crowd and headed for the balcony. But before they could reach the door, one of Van's advisors stepped in their way. 

"Pardon me, King Van, but don't you think you could at least dance with Queen Calypso once before the night ends?"

"I don't really feel like dancing." Van said stubbornly, as he took a step to the right, trying to go around the man in front of him, but his advisor was more stubborn than he was. Again, he took a step in front of his King. 

"You've spent the past hour dancing with Lady Merle here. I don't think one more dance will hurt." Van didn't feel up to an argument, so he detached himself from Merle and said, "Alright. One dance. You stay here Merle. This won't take long."

Van made his way across the dance floor, heading for the direction where he last saw Calypso standing. When Van had made a good distance between him and Merle, she rounded on Van's council member.

"Bastard. You can't seem to give him a break, can you? Not for one minute." Merle was glaring at this man with every fiber of her being. He, however, didn't falter a bit. He only gave her an equal scowl. 

"We did give him a break." He said in a harsh tone. "We gave him an entire hour to dance with you. If we didn't want to give him a break, he wouldn't have spent more than a minute with the likes of you." For once, Merle didn't know what to say. Gone were the days when people were prejudice against her kind. But apparently, some people don't know how to rid themselves of bad feelings towards other races. After a while, Merle finally found her voice, although it wasn't more than a whisper.

"How dare you!" The man standing before Merle simply smirked and walked away.  

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When Queen Calypso saw Van come across the dance floor, she excused herself from the crowd of people she was talking to. She met him in the middle of the dance floor and stopped walking when they were only a few feet away. She smiled at him, showing off her glittering white teeth.

"About time you asked me to dance."

_'About time that brainless oaf of an advisor got rid of that wretched cat girl.'_ Calypso simply kept her smile on and moved closer to Van. She took one of his hands in hers and the other, she placed on her hip. Slowly, they started dancing to the beat of a slow song. The whole time, Calypso just stared into Van's eyes. Van however, kept his gaze just above her head. Calypso decided to break the silence, forcing Van to actually look at her.

"I realize this marriage was kind of sudden…" 

"A little too sudden." Van interrupted. 

"…but I think if we give it some time, we could get to know each other." 

"This marriage never would have happened if your country hadn't threatened to declare war on Fanelia!" Calypso's smile flickered at this response, and then returned. _'Any other man would be drooling over me by now. Never has a man actually dared to talk back to me. This will be more difficult than I thought…'_ The song ended and Van broke away from Calypso. He did a soft bow and muttered, "Thank you for the dance." And then walked away, leaving Calypso alone on the dance floor. This didn't hurt Calypso's feelings at all. In fact, this response filled her with anticipation of the upcoming days. 

_'It's about time I had a challenge. Men are usually very easy to control. But this one is…different. I'm going to enjoy breaking him…'_

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"Good evening, your majesty. Mind if I join you?" Van turned his head to see a woman with dark brown hair wearing a silver dress, obviously from Cyrce. 

"Go ahead."

The woman approached the railing and leaned against it, keeping plenty of space between them, so not to make anyone uncomfortable. The both of them stared up at the Mystic Moon, its light reflecting off of the woman's dress, giving it an almost magical glow about it. 

"The sky is pretty tonight."

"Yes, it is." There was a short pause. 

"Normally I would congratulate you on your marriage, but you don't look like someone who wants to be congratulated right now." 

Van smiled to himself. "Am I that obvious?"

"No. I just noticed that's all. Then again, if _I was forced into a marriage, I wouldn't be too happy either." _

Van did a double take. _'So she knows about the arranged marriage.' _

Reading his mind, the woman continued speaking. "When ever I come to a new county, I always do my homework. But one thing that caught my attention was the _cause_ of the end of the Great War. It's no secret that it was your love for the seeress that saved all Gaea. So, that makes me wonder if you are really happy with the way this marriage turned out." The woman took a glance over at Van to see him staring at her intently. Normally, this kind of encounter with someone would unnerve him, and he would put a stop to this conversation before it got too personal. But something about this woman told him he could trust her, even though he didn't trust anyone from Cyrce at this point. But Van was about to make an exception to that rule. 

"I'll stop if you think I'm prying."

"No, that's alright. It's nice knowing that _someone understands. By the way, what's your name?"_

"I'm Phoebe." Phoebe held out her hand and Van shook it. 

"Nice to meet you, Phoebe."

Phoebe took a step backward and breathed a sigh. "Well, I should be heading back," She started walking to the door but stopped and turned back around. "But if you want some advice, here it is. Forbidden love requires patients. Just believe. She will come back someday." Before Van could respond, Phoebe left to join the crowd indoors. Moments after she left, Merle came outside to join him.

"Hey. Who was that?"

"Phoebe."

"Who?"

"Just some girl from Cyrce who came to the wedding."

"Oh." Merle hesitated before continuing. "So, how are you holding up?"

"Honestly, not too good. I think I'm going to retire early."

"How? Someone will see you if you go upstairs. Unless…" Merle looked up and saw the twinkle in Van's eyes and she smiled. She took his arm and they both walked to the corner of the balcony that hid them from the view of anyone inside. Once the coast was clear, Merle played look-out while Van took off his shirt.

"Coast is clear."

"Thanks Merle." Van stepped onto the railing and arched his back. Out of nowhere, brilliant white wings appeared as Van jumped off and took flight. Merle watched him fly up and over the roof of the castle, heading for his bed room at the opposite end of the building. 

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_'What are they up to?' _Calypso thought as she watched Van and Merle from afar. She watched as they walked to a corner of the balcony when a curtain blocked them from view. After a minute or so, she saw the cat girl emerge and walk back inside…alone. _'Where did Van go?'_

Calypso, full of suspicion, walked directly towards Merle. She was almost through the dance floor when Calypso stepped directly in front of the cat girl.

"Hey! Watch where you're…Queen Calypso! I didn't see you…"

"Where is Van?" Calypso interrupted. 

"Excuse me?" Merle said as she took a step backwards.

"Where is my husband?"

Merle was seriously offended by the queen's tone but dared not talk back to her. "He went to his room. He was tired." And before the _Queen could snap at her any more, she left the ball room. Calypso watched the cat girl storm off, and she let her. After she was out of view, Calypso headed upstairs towards Van's bedroom._

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Van stood on his balcony overlooking all of Fanelia, bathed in the light of the Mystic Moon. Looking up at it only made the pain in his heart increase. He felt as though he had betrayed Hitomi by marring another woman.

_'I tried to reach you…believe me…Hitomi…I'm so sorry…' _

Van closed his eyes and grabbed the pendent around his neck, holding it close to his heart. 

_'Hitomi…please forgive me…'_ All of the sudden, the pendent began to glow brightly. Out in the distance, a pillar of light touched down on Fanelia's fields. Immediately he knew what it meant. Without thinking, Van spread his wings and flew towards the pillar of light. Never before had any creature moved so fast…

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Calypso knocked on the door of the bedroom.

"Van, are you in there?" She turned the door knob and took a step inside and gasped at what she saw. She arrived just in time to see Van take off into the night, heading towards a pillar of blue light.

"Oh, shit." 

**A/N: *bashes head on keyboard* REALLY… *bash*…BAD… *bash*…CHAPTER!!!!! I am so sorry everyone. No matter what I did to it, this chapter still SUCKED!!!!!! Ahhhhhhh…….*rips hair out* I spent hours trying to make this chapter better, but it didn't work. I'm sorry. I've failed you all *pout*. Regardless of this bad chapter, I do plan on finishing this story (Ha, now Kat-Tastrophe can't steal my story). Hopefully, future chapters will be more interesting and come more quickly. This chapter took forever to write. I hope I didn't lose too much of my audience. Anyway, just REVIEW and make me feel better. PS. If you are tired of waiting for future chapters to be updated, check out my favorite authors/stories. There are some really good ones in there!!! And read stories by CinderellaxVan. She is a REALLY REALLY good writer but she doesn't think so. A lot of her stories inspired me to write this fic! **

**Love ya sis + bro?……………… and you too Baka!**


	9. A New Plan

**A/N: Finally, an update. Took me long enough, huh. By the way, in case you don't already know, I've started another story. There's only one chapter so far, but read it and tell me what you think. **

**Disclaimer: Me no own. And I'm too lazy to write a funny disclaimer. **

**Chapter Nine: A New Plan**

It's funny how time seems to slow down when you're in a hurry. Van was soaring through the night sky to where the beam of light had landed so fast, that he would have seemed like a white blur had anyone actually saw him. Focusing all his energy on flying faster, Van didn't notice that the air behind him was swamped with feathers. With each beat of his wings, even more feathers flew into the air. Only one though was on his mind.

_'I've got to find Hitomi.'_

Although it seemed like hours, Van reached his destination in only a few minutes. He searched the ground below him until he finally found what he was looking for. In the field, he could see Hitomi running towards him, waving her arms in the air, calling out his name. 

"Hitomi!" 

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Hitomi could feel her body soaring through the air, a blinding light all around her. When her feet suddenly hit the ground, she lost her balance and fell to her knees. Once the light disappeared, she realized that she was in a completely different place altogether. She was standing in the middle of a grassy field with a few trees and a dirt road. She couldn't see much because it appeared to be night time, but when she looked back up at the sky and saw the Earth suspended in mid-air, her suspicions were confirmed. 

"I did it." Hitomi whispered, "I made it. I'm on Gaea!" Hitomi threw down her track bag and jumped and whooped and hollered, tears of joy swelling up in her eyes. Had anyone seen her doing this, they would have thought she was insane. After a few minutes, after she calmed herself, she took a closer look at her surroundings to try and figure out where on Gaea she was. It didn't take long for her to find out. Out in the distance was an all too familiar castle, brightly lit and highly decorated, for a party it seemed. 

"I'm in Fanelia!"

Hitomi simply stood there, staring intently at the castle, never blinking for fear of not being able to open her eyes again. After a while her vision began to get foggy, and she could have sworn she saw a white cloud coming towards her. She finally blinked and sighed when the world around her stayed the same, even the cloud.

"Wait a minute…is that?" Hitomi squinted her eyes, trying to make out the object. Soon she realized that it wasn't a cloud that was coming towards her, it was Van. Behind him was a trail of feathers, flying through the air rapids created by each beat of his wings. Hitomi's heart jumped for joy and she turned around, grabbed her track bag, and threw it over her shoulder. Running as fast as she could, she waved her arms and screamed, trying to get his attention. 

"Van! I'm over here! Van!" grinning like a madman, Hitomi put on a burst of speed when she saw him look right at her and call her name. Once again, time was playing tricks on the both of them. No matter how hard she tried, Hitomi couldn't seem to move faster. Every beat of her heart, every step, every breath she took seemed to echo all around her.

_'Why am I moving so slowly?'_

As her footsteps pounded against the long grass, nesting birds were startled by her sudden presence, but before they could fly away, Hitomi had already passed them. By the time the birds were in flight, Hitomi was long gone. All awhile, she never took her eyes off of Van.  

_'He's moving so fast. Why can't I go any faster?'_

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Princess, no…wait, _Queen Calypso re-entered the ball room, in search for her mother._

_'She's not going to like this.'_

Picking up the front of her dress, she descended the staircase that lead to the dance floor. From the left and the right, she received bows and curtsies from nearby ladies and gentlemen. In return, she gave them each a slight nod to acknowledge their presence, and then they returned to whatever they were doing. Calypso paused once she reached the bottom of the stair case and surveyed the room. It didn't take her long to find her mother, but something else caught her attention. The cat girl, Merle, was dancing happily with a man who appeared to be a Fanelian soldier. Calypso sighed in disgust. 

_'This country is so twisted. Humans and animals living together? It's disgusting. I should have put a stronger spell on that councilor. He didn't hurt that girl nearly enough.' _

Calypso's heart burned with anger when ever she saw a flash of Merle's smile.

_'I'll deal with you two later…'_

Calypso made her way to the left hand corner of the room where her mother was talking to a number of Fanelian nobles. 

_'She's already making connections. Never a wasted moment.'_

When she was only a few feet away, Calypso caught her mother's eye, sensing the need that her daughter wanted to speak to her, the queen of Cyrce excused herself and joined her daughter. 

Calypso gave a small curtsy. "Good evening mother. Care to join me outside for a moment."

Slightly raising an eyebrow, the queen nodded. "Of course." 

The two of them walked side by side towards the balcony door. Once they were outside, Calypso shut the door behind them so no one could listen in on their conversation.

"Surly you wouldn't pull me away from those people over silly matters. What happened?"

Getting right to the point, Calypso responded in a serious tone. "The seeress from the Mystic Moon has returned to Gaea."

"What?! How can this be?"

"I'm not sure, yet"

"Does King Van know about it?"

"Yes. I saw him fly towards a beam of light. Surly he will bring the seeress to the castle."

"Damn it. You were supposed to be keeping an eye on him."

Calypso bowed her head in submission. "I apologize."

"It's no matter. We'll have to think quickly. You _may _be married to Van but the seeress may still be able to reach him. And that could make quite a few bumps in the road for us. We need to find a way to separate them."

"I have a suggestion mother."

The queen raised her brow. "Let me hear it."

"I don't think merely separating them will be enough. Somehow, they will find a way to be together. Instead, what if we made the seeress believe that Van didn't love her? I can use my magic to control him."

"You are already going to be using quite a bet of magic on him. Trying to suppress feelings of love is a very difficult task, even for us Sirens. Are you sure you can handle it?"  

"Yes. I _can do this."_

The Queen stared at her daughter, a look of determination on her face. Finally, she sighed and gave in. "Alright. We will proceed with our plan."

"Thank You. I promise, I won't let you down."

The Queen merely nodded at her daughter. "I am returning to Cyrce in the morning. Send word when your first task is complete."

"Yes, mother."

And with a slight nod to her daughter, they both returned to the party inside. 

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

_'What are those two up too?'_

Phoebe watched Queen Calypso and her mother walk onto the balcony and shut the glass door.

_'Whatever it is, it must be serious of Calypso is worried about people overbearing their conversation. Lucky for me, I don't have to _listen _to find out what they are saying…'_

Following the movement of their mouths, Phoebe began reading the two royals lips. 

_…"The seeress from the Mystic Moon has returned to Gaea."…_

At this, Phoebe's heart gave a huge leap. _'She's returned? There may be hope for us yet.'_

But as soon as she read the rest of the conversation, her once leaping heart now burned with anger.

_'I don't know how I'm going to prevent this.'_

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

As the distance between Van and Hitomi got smaller, time started to resume its normal pace. When the distance was only about ten feet, Hitomi leapt into Van's outstretched arms as the momentum of his wings carried them both into the sky. The two of them just clung to each other, afraid to let go, love radiating from each other.

"Van, I missed you so much."

"I missed you too…" 

Van's wings carried the two of them back onto solid ground, and the two of them finally removed their vice-grip. However, they were still holding each other's hands. Van was the first to speak up.

"How did you get here? You didn't have the pendant."

Hitomi smiled. "The last time I saw you, you left _this_ behind." She gestured to the feather that was hanging around her neck. "I heard your voice coming through it."

Van's eyes widened in surprise. "That' what happened with the pendent! That's how I found out you were in trouble. I heard your voice coming though the pendent. You were crying for help."

"I hear your voice too. You kept apologizing. Why?" Van's features suddenly turned grim. Soon after, so did Hitomi's. "What happened? What's wrong?"

Van took a step away from Hitomi, removing her hands from his. _'What if she hates me?'_ Van couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes. He felt too ashamed.

"Hitomi I…"

"It's ok Van. You can tell me."

"I…I got married. But please, let me explain!"

"You…got married?" Hitomi's heart was breaking with every second. It took all the strength she had not to run away and start crying. But Van had an "explanation", and she was going to hear him out. She nodded to let him know that she was listening.

"The country Cyrce threatened to declare war on Fanelia if I didn't agree on a marriage alliance with them. I had no choice but to accept. I couldn't risk putting the people in another war. Please believe me, Hitomi. I had no choice. I love you. I don't want to lose you." Van looked directly into Hitomi's eyes to see a look of pure shock on her face. She still seemed to be taking it all in. for a long time, she didn't respond, she just stood there, staring into nothingness. So Van made the first move. He took a step forward and cradled Hitomi in his arms, and whispered in her ear, "I love you. Please forgive me."

Hitomi half wanted to slap him and then demand that he was only joking, but she knew in her heart that he wasn't. And Van wasn't a liar. He did love her. She wouldn't have heard his cry and felt his sorrow unless it was genuine. 

Hitomi raised her arms and returned Van's embrace, making him tighten his hold on her.

"I believe you." Hitomi whispered. Van let out an audible sigh. "I love you too…but what are _we going to do? If you're married, what's going to happen to __us?"_

"I don't know. But we'll figure it out…together." 

**A/N: *sniff* Isn't that sweet? *blows nose* I love this chapter. Now, tell me what you think! REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!! By the way, the next chapter may take a while, cause I'm not sure what I want to happen next, but I'm also writing another story that's going to have a lot more humor in it. Read it and tell me what you think! JA NE! **

**P.S.******

**If you would like me to notify you of an updated chapter, just leave your e-mail address!!!**


	10. Welcome Home

**A/N:**** Ahhhh….That took way too long to write. I got so lost. I couldn't think, but here is the next chapter. Finals are finally over so I have more time on my hands. So, hopefully, I'll be able to update more often. My goal is at least one update a week for each story. I've started writing another fic. Personally, I think it's better than this one (mostly because it's not so depressing) and I think you will enjoy it.  It's really funny. Please Read and Review. They will make me feel a lot better. **

**Melanie****- If you think it's sad now, wait until you see what happens in the future chapters. Say no more here. Thanks for reviewing!!!**

**B. Burns-**** Yea, Hitomi is going to have a hard time in the future *sob* I won't tell you any more than that. *malicious laughter* Just read. **

**InuYasha/GF1889****- Hee hee.** I got my sis to sing! I WIN! I WIN! HAHAHAHA………Ok, I'm calm. Now, why did you have to go to LA? I wanted to meet you! *screams and cries uncontrollably* You have to come over one I come over again. Oh, and by the way, enjoy the Escaflowne DVD's. Thanks for reading and reviewing. Ja ne!****

**Dilandau****-is-My-Boyfriend- ****I don't know what to say. Ha, I just said something. LOL. I can't write when you're standing right over my shoulder watching every move I make, so, I'll just say I love ya and I miss ya and I'll see ya later!**

**Mystry**** child-**** I think I'm gonna have Dilandau be on the good side………..opps, did I just say that out loud? Oh well, no one will notice…………hee hee, tanks for reading/reviewing.**

**Neithan02****- Well, I've been getting lazy when it comes to my disclaimers. I've had less and less time to right so I just concentrate on writing a good fic. But thanks for reviewing!!!! Ja ne!**

**Aradow****- ****hummmmmmm,,,,,,good** point. My mistake…..unless….she had magical powers to heal herself, or better yet, time moves differently on Earth than it does on Gaea, soo, maybe she DID have a few weeks to heal before she left, but on Gaea, it only seemed like a few hours or a few days!!! Huh! How about that? Boy do I have an imagination or what?****

**BuMbUmLicious****- That's ok, I understand what you meant. Most of the time when I talk, no body understands me either, which is why it probably takes me so long to write a chapter!!!! Hurray to those of us who cant talk!!!! It's nice to meet another person just like me. Tanks for reading!!!!**

**Shinagami**- Hi person.**** *hides laughing bunny from sight* HA, where's your flamethrower now?! *sticks out tounge* see, I'm updating! Now you can't do anything about it! HEE HEE…….Hope your summer has been great so far! See ya later!****

**Disclaimer:**** Nope, I don't own. If I did, I'd be dead by now for making the audience wait this long for an update. **

**Chapter Ten:****  Welcome Home**

_'He's not coming back.'_

Calypso stood alone on the balcony, staring in the direction where saw Van fly away. She cursed under her breath for this unexpected turn of events.

_'There's no way I'll be able to work my magic tonight. It will have to wait until tomorrow.'_ A smirk appeared on her face. _Enjoy his company tonight, seeress. Because after tonight, Van is mine.'_ She turned her heal and got ready for bed. 

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

On the palace rooftop, Van and Hitomi sat side by side, Van's arm wrapped around Hitomi's waist. They were catching up on what has been going on in each other's lives.

"What!? Allen's going to have another child?" 

"Yeah. He and his wife Saria just found out."

"That's wonderful. What does Child think about this?"

"According to the letter, he couldn't be happier. He's really excited about being an older brother. They'll be arriving tomorrow, so we'll be able to ask them about it then."

Hitomi smiled softly. "I'm glad Allen has finally settled down. It seems everyone here on Gaea has settled down, even Merle." Van started laughing when Hitomi mentioned Merle's name. Hitomi looked up at him, bewildered. "What's so funny?" 

"It's nothing, it's just that…earlier today, she was being so defensive when I asked her how her date went. I don't think I've ever seen her face _that_ red before." The two of them tried to stifle their laughter, and failed miserably.

But after their short laughing fit was over, they grew silent.

After a while, Van finally asked the question that had been nagging at the back of his head for quite some time.

"Hitomi?"

"Yes, Van?"

"I was wondering, now that you're back…um…are you here to…you know…stay?"

"Well…"

"Because I'd understand if you wanted to go back to your family and friends. You don't have to stay just because of…"

"I'm staying." Hitomi blurted out. After that outburst, Van stopped his rambling and everything turned deathly silent. "I…I didn't come to Gaea just to visit…just to say 'hi'…I came back because…I want to be with you. I want to stay here…if that's ok."

Van couldn't think of an appropriate response. He merely tightened his hold on Hitomi and whispered, "Thank you." Although this statement lacked sentiment, Hitomi knew what he meant, and appreciated it all the same.

The two of them just sat there, holding each other while Van absentmindedly stroked Hitomi's arm with his thumb, sending chills down her spine. She tried to stay awake and enjoy this moment but the sound of Van's heart beat lulled her to sleep.

For the first time in a long time, Van was able to relax. Before, he was worried about Hitomi's well being. He couldn't understand how those men got a hold of her but she and explained everything to him, and now, they were just glad it was over. He wasn't going to let anyone harm Hitomi ever again.

_'I will protect you.'_

Van bent his head down and kissed Hitomi on the top of her head. It was then that he realized that she had fallen asleep in his arms. Shifting positions slowly, Van reached under Hitomi's legs and picked her up. He hunched his back slightly and sprouted wings. All around him, white feathers danced around him in the air. He walked to the very edge of the roof and looked down, something most people would be afraid to do considering how high up they were. Taking a deep breath, he let his body fall forward and his wings caught the air underneath them. 

He didn't even have to do any work. He simply glided around the castle looking for the balcony to one of the spare rooms. Once he was halfway around the castle, he spotted it and shifted his wings to the right slightly. Van landed on the balcony's edge as gently as possible so he wouldn't wake up Hitomi. Van's wings disappeared in a cloud of feathers and he stepped down from the railing. Using a small burst of energy, Van made the glass doors unlock and open up. Van stepped inside the highly furnished room and walked over to the bed. He could feel a small breeze surround him when he used more magic to pull back the bed covers. **(A/N: See! Van's powers can be used for things other than blowing stuff up!!!) Van gently placed Hitomi on the bed and pulled the covers up to her shoulders. He brushed some of her golden brown hair out of her face before kissing her gently on her forehead. **

"Sweet dreams Hitomi." He whispered. "I love you." He had just turned towards the bedroom door to leave when he heard Hitomi whisper, "I love you too Van." 

Van smiled and took one last peek at Hitomi's sleeping form before shutting the door quietly behind him.

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Long after everyone had fallen asleep, Phoebe was still roaming the hallways of the Fanelian castle. She played with the thought of going to her guest room and trying to get some sleep but she knew it wasn't going to happen tonight. She was too restless. There was a lot going on inside her head. Mostly about the shocking news she had learned at the ball.

_'The girl from the Mystic Moon has returned…incredible…there may be hope for Gaea after all…'_

Phoebe stepped into the light of the Mystic Moon that was pouring in from a large window to her right. She walked over to it and placed one hand on the cool, stone frame and the other clutched something against her chest. 

_'I will do everything in my power to stop that fate…even if I die in the process…'_

The sound of echoing footsteps interrupted Phoebe's thoughts. She turned her gaze towards the source of the noise but it was coming from the dark part of the corridor. Phoebe, already on her guard, removed her hand from her chest and placed it on her hip, ready to unsheathe the dagger hidden within the fold of her dress. Her whole body tensed as the sound grew louder and then suddenly stopped. A male's voice called out.

"Phoebe?"

The voice sounded familiar but she couldn't figure out who it belonged to. "Who's there?"

The visitor took a few more steps closer until his entire figure was also bathed in the eerie light. Once Phoebe recognized who it was, she relaxed and allowed her hand to fall from her side. 

"Good evening, King Van."

"What are you still doing up?" he kindly asked.

"I couldn't sleep. I've got a lot on my mind. So what's _your_ excuse?" 

"Avoiding my duties as a newly wedded King." Van responded. 

"I see." Nodded Phoebe. "Well, good luck to you, majesty. But I should point out that you can't run away from her forever. You'll have to sleep sometime, and then what are you going to do?"

"Hide out in the servant's quarters, maybe?" joked Van. 

"I doubt that would work."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Van confessed. He turned his head towards the Mystic Moon, a small smile on his face.

"Well you sure have changed in only a few hours. What has gotten you so happy?"

Van shot Phoebe a double take. _'Should I tell her?'_

_*Flashback*_

_"But if you want some advice, here it is. Forbidden love requires patients. Just believe. She will come back someday."_

_*End Flashback*_

Van laughed inside when he thought about the irony. _'It's almost as if she knew Hitomi was coming back. Well, everyone will find out about Hitomi's arrival tomorrow anyway. Why not tell her?'_

"If you don't want to answer, that's ok. I'll stop prying into your personal life."

"No, it's not that. Well, it sounds pretty unbelievable but, a couple hours ago, Hitomi arrived here on Gaea."

Phoebe did her best to look as surprised as she could. "She did? That's incredible. How did it happen?" 

"Honestly, I'm not sure."

"So how many people know that she's returned?" she asked, curious to see how much the new King knew about the situation.

"Just you, so far. We'll probably make the announcement tomorrow after Allen's caravan arrives."

"Allen Shezare **(AN: Did I spell his last name right?) is coming to Fanelia tomorrow?" she asked with a hint of delight in her voice, which Van didn't notice.**

"Yeah, he couldn't make it to the wedding so he and his family are arriving in the morning."

_'That means that Celina Shezare will be here too.'_ Phoebe thought excitedly. 

"Well, that should make for a nice reunion." Phoebe paused as a thought struck her. "I wonder, does Lady Hitomi have any…appropriate attire? I mean, she does come from the Mystic Moon, and I don't think they wear the same kinds of clothes as we do."

"You're right, they don't. But Hitomi isn't the kind of person who likes to wear dresses." Van smiled, "The last time Hitomi wore a dress, when she was still on Gaea, she tore of the entire bottom half because she said she couldn't run fast enough in it." He didn't tell Phoebe that the _reason_ she needed to run so fast was to save his life. Van could still remember that day, as if it had just happened a moment ago. He was standing on the bridge, talking to his brother, Folken. Suddenly, Van heard the whistling of an object moving towards him at an incredibly high speed. It was Dilandau's crema claw. Van had spotted the claw heading towards him but knew he wouldn't have enough time to dodge it. He actually thought he was going to die, right then, but all of the sudden, he could hear Hitomi call out his name before colliding with him and pushing him to the ground, saving him from certain death…

"So Lady Hitomi is more the athletic type, is she?" Phoebe interrupted. Van nodded in response. "I have something that might suit her. Come with me to my room and you can give it to her."

"You don't have too…"

"Nonsense. Just call it a 'welcome back' gift. It's no trouble at all."

Defeated, Van fallowed Phoebe to her guest room. When she had pulled the dress from her closet and handed it to Van, he murmured, "Perfect."

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hitomi woke up with the morning sun shining on her face. She rolled over onto her side and squinted her eyes at the morning light. She took a deep breath and pushed herself up into a seating position, leaning her back against the wooden bed post.

"So you're finally awake."

Sitting at a table near the glass door was the smiling form of Van

Hitomi returned his grin. "How long have you been sitting there?"

"Not long. About ten minutes or so." Van stood up and walked toward Hitomi's bed. She curled her knees towards her chest to make room for Van as he sat at the foot of her bed. "I thought I should let you know that Allen's caravan is approaching. They should be here in about a half an hour. But before they arrive, I think we should let the people here know that you've returned. Merle will be especially upset if she's the last one to find out." 

Hitomi laughed. "Alright, I'm getting up." She swung her legs over the side of the bed as Van stood up and made for the bedroom door.

"I'll wait outside and escort you downstairs, Ok?"

"Ok."

Hitomi waited until Van closed the door before getting out of bed. She was still wearing the same outfit she wore the day before.

_'I can't go in this.'_

Hitomi looked around the room for her track bag and spotted it on the floor at the far corner of her bed. She picked it up and set it down on the table Van had been sitting at and began rummaging through it. As much as she would have like to wear some of her "normal" clothes, she wanted to make a good impression, but nothing she had seemed appropriate.

Giving up on her search, Hitomi glanced around the room. At the opposite end was a chest of drawers and a closet. Checking the chest of drawers first, she found that it was completely empty. She walked over to the closet and slid the door o the right. Inside was a simple emerald green dress and a pair of shoes. Attached to the dress was a note that said, "Just in case." She smiled.

Hitomi pulled off her dirty clothes after placing her feather necklace carefully on top of the chest of drawers and slipped on the dress. The smooth fabric clung tightly to her body and loosened up at the ankles making the dress look as if it were flowing every time Hitomi took a step. She examined herself in the mirror and smiled.

_'Not too fancy, not too formal. I could even _run_ in this dress and not worry about ripping it. I wonder where Van got it.'_

Remembering that Van was outside her door and waiting for her, she quickly slipped on the matching green shoes and ran to the door.

Van was leaning against the wall opposite to Hitomi's room, staring at a spot on the carpet. When Hitomi came out of her room, Van looked up at her and his eyes lit up. Hitomi nervously clasped her hands in front of her and blushed slightly. Van walked right up to her and used his fingers to brush away some of Hitomi's hair and curl it behind her ear. 

"You look beautiful." He said in a deep yet gentle voice.

"You don't look too bad yourself."

Van held out his arm and Hitomi took it and the two of them made their way to the front of the castle to meet their guests.

"By the way Van, where did you get this dress?"

"A friend of mine…" 

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Merle was pacing back and forth at the bottom of a large staircase, waiting for Van to come down.

_'He'd better hurry up. Otherwise, he'll be late for Allen's arrival.'_

Merle's ear's twitched slightly when she picked up the sound of two pairs of approaching foot steps. 

_'That must be Van and Calypso…'_

Merle looked up expecting to see the new King and Queen, but was surprised to see a different woman being escorted by Van. 

"Is that…" Merle whispered. _'It couldn't be…Hitomi?'_

Both Van and Hitomi looked down below them to stare into the cat-girls blue eyes.

"Merle!"  Hitomi exclaimed.

"Hitomi!" Merle ran on all fours up the staircase and tackled into Hitomi, nearly knocking her to the ground. "I can't believe you're here." She cried. After a moment, Merle removed Hitomi from her grasp and glared at her. "What took you so long?!" she raged.

"Great to see you too, Merle." Hitomi dejected. _'Well, I see Merle hasn't changed much.'_

"Hey you two, sorry to interrupt this warm reunion, but we should probably start heading down. Allen should be here any minute." 

"Oh yeah!" Squealed Merle, her charming smile returning to her face.

The trio walked together down the hall, heading for the main entrance, Van escorting the two girls. Before they made it outside, however, Merle stopped walking and mumbled something under her breath.

"What was that, Merle?" Van asked.

"Calypso is out there." She repeated. Van stiffened. 

"Oh…yeah." Van turned to Hitomi, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Um…I'm not supposed to be escorting another women, now that I'm…you know…"

"…married." Merle finished for him.

"Oh…right." Hitomi unlinked her arm from Van's and took two steps backward, as did Merle.

Van mumbled under his breath, "Sorry."

Hitomi glanced up. "It's ok, Van. I understand." Hitomi gave Van a reassuring smile which Van returned. Merle impatiently stomped her foot.

"Ok you two love birds, let's get a move on!" Merle interrupted. She noticed the two of them blush slightly before heading through the main doors, Van leading while the two girls followed behind. 

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Outside the front doors of the castle, a small group of people waited for the caravan to arrive. A long staircase separated the castle guards from the royal officials. At the bottom stood several guards holding trumpets, ready to announce the coming guests. In the middle were the King's royal advisors and some officials (all women) from Cyrce. Among these officials from Cyrce was Jane, the woman who _was responsible for keeping an eye on Van until Calypso arrived, and, of course, Phoebe, the woman who intends to foil Calypso's plan of dominating Gaea. At the top of the staircase stood the __new Queen, Calypso Siren of Fanelia. Her mother, Queen Elizabeth Siren, was not present. She had left to return to Cyrce that morning, leaving Calypso in charge of their plan…_

…and speaking of 'plan', the _target of phase one of their plan has yet to arrive, and Calypso was getting anxious. _

_'Where is he? He had better get here soon or he'll make me look bad…'_ Calypso thought. _'He may have evaded me last night, but that won't happen again. Phase one begins tonight, and no matter what the seeress does, Van will be mine…'_

Calypso's thoughts were interrupted when the large wooden doors opened up behind her and three personages came out into the light. One was her husband, the other belonged to the cat girl, but the_ other_ woman…Calypso didn't recognize. _'That must be the seeress…'_

Van took his spot beside his Queen as Merle and Hitomi took their places a few steps down and to the left. Calypso, pretending to be completely clueless, asked the obvious question. "Van, who is that woman?" Van gave a smile to his wife that said 'I know something you don't know', and Calypso didn't like it. Van turned away to face the 'stranger' in their midst. 

"Hitomi," Van called, "Come up here for a moment. There is someone you should meet." Van extended his hand towards Hitomi and waited for her to take it. Hitomi picked up the front of her dress and took a few steps up the staircase and took Van's hand in her own. Merle noticed a small scowl on Calypso's face when she saw this _familiar gesture. Van brought Hitomi one step below the Queen and then introduced the two women. "May I present, Hitomi Kanzaki, seeress of the Mystic Moon. Hitomi returned to Gaea last night." _

"The seeress from the Mystic Moon?" Calypso repeated with an air of surprise. "Well, it's an honor to meet you, Lady Hitomi. I've heard a lot about you." Calypso gave a small nod in Hitomi's direction.

Hitomi, not sure of what to do in response, gave a bow before saying, "It's an honor to meet you as well, Queen Calypso."

_'So that's the woman Van is married too…'_

"So, Lady Hitomi, what brings you here to Fanelia?" Calypso asked, innocently.

Before Hitomi could try to come up with a response, she was interrupted by the sound of trumpets from below. Everyone's eyes turned towards the main gates as a caravan entered the palace courtyard. Allen Shezare had finally arrived. 

**AN: Sorry to cut this chapter short, but it was getting too long and I wanted to get this posted by tonight. But I've already started writing chapter 11 so an update should come soon…I hope. *grin* So, yeah, I'm back from ****Utah**** and I had SOOOO MUCH FUN!!!! I went to BYU, and, OMG, they have the coooolest book store in the world. I love Harry Potter and they had the series in, like, 8 different languages!!! It was soooo cool. I checked out their foreign language section………and………I bought a Japanese-English dictionary!!! It is sooo cool. IT'S so much fun to play with. Hey, if any of you want to know how to say a word, just ask!!! And I'll be too happy to give it to you!!!  **

**Oh, about the chapter, well, some people are wondering how Dilandau is going to play in this. Yes, he is going to be in this fic!!! So all you Dilandau lovers (my sister included…) can all jump for joy!!! But for Allen haters……………..I don't know. I'm not going to make Allen mean in this one. Sorry. But if you want to read about Allen dissing, keep waiting for an update on my other fic, "Flying High". There will be PLENTY of Allen dissing in there, but I don't think Dilandau will make an appearance though…..sorry, but it will be good! I promise. In fact, I will reveal that "Flying High" will have a SUPER DUPER COOL AWESOME _TWIST_ ENDING. What is that ending you ask?.................................IM NOT GOING TO TELL YOU!!!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHA……………………OK, I'm calm. Any who, REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW!!!!!!!!!! I NEED TO KNOW HOW I'M DOING SO FAR. **


	11. A Strange Song

**AN****: Hi everyone. I'm sorry to say that my writing might get a little depressing, maybe. I don't know if you knew already but I LOVE the Harry Potter series. I got the fifth book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the ****Phoenix****" at **midnight******, the day it came out. I just now finished it and I am thoroughly depressed. I wish I could cry………………but I can't. Why am I so sad, you may ask? It's because one of my favorite characters died. I won't say who in case those of you reading it haven't finished the book yet. But trust me, if you are a hard core Harry Potter fan, like I am, you are going to cry. Oh sure, I didn't cry, but that's because I'm an insensitive little $#!%. *coughs loudly* any way, I am trying to get my mind off the book by writing more often, but my mind keeps drawing blanks, and then I think about that "certain character death" and I get all sad again! *sniff* **

**Disclaimer****: No, I don't own Escaflowne. Nor do I own Harry Potter. If I did own Harry Potter, I never would have killed that certain character whom I will not say his/her name in case Harry Potter fans are reading this and they haven't finished the fifth book yet……**

**Chapter Eleven****: A Strange Song**

Inside the main carriage, Allen was holding his now pregnant wife's hand. Sara was very anxious to meet King Van, whom she had heard so much about from her husband. Sara and Allen heard a knock at the door of the carriage. Allen stood up (Well, kind of, he's bending over but still walking) and opened the curtain attached to the door. Outside appeared the smiling face of his sister, Celina Shezare, riding along side the carriage on horseback.

"We're at the castle gates Allen."

"Good, we made excellent timing." Allen replied. 

From deep in the carriage, Sara spoke up. "We're here? Finally! I'm tired of being cooped up in this box on wheels. Why does Celina get to ride on horseback?" Sara complained.

"Because _I'm not the one who's expecting a child." Celina teased. Allen smiled at the two arguing woman. Yup, Sara was a free spirit all right. That was part of the reason he fell in love with her. Actually, her spirit kind of reminded him of Hitomi…_

Not too far away, Allen could hear the trumpets announcing their arrival. Only a minute later, the carriage came to a stop and Allen hopped out of the "box on wheels" and helped his wife onto solid ground. 

Allen began to ascend the stairs, his wife and sister not too far behind him. The first thing he saw was Van's new wife, Queen Calypso. She was indeed as beautiful as he had been told. Her silver gown, shining brightly in the sunlight, only complemented her sleek black hair which fell down to her waist. In his peripheral vision, Allen could see many women to his left, obviously officials from Cyrce, and to his right were Fanelia's officials. He also noticed that below and to the right of Van was the cat girl, Merle, and beside her was another women in a green gown whom he couldn't get a good look at without turning his gaze. It was considered rude when approaching the King and Queen of a country to avert your gaze from them to look at people of lower social status. 

Allen, Celina, and Sara stopped their accent once they were a few steps away from the King and Queen of Fanelia. The two women curtsied while Allen sank into a deep and respectful bow.  

"Your highness, it is a pleasure to finally meet you." Allen said. "Please forgive our late arrival."

"No apology is necessary, knight Caeli." Calypso said in a charming voice. "I'm just happy you've arrived safely."

"Please, your Highness, allow me to introduce to you my wife, Sara, and my sister, Celina." Allen gestured to the two women behind him. The two of them took a step forward at the mention of their names. 

"Very nice to meet you two." On the outside, Calypso seemed like a charming person, but on the inside, she was sniggering. _'So this is the famous Knight Caeli. I am not impressed. That wife of his looks like she could afford to lose a few pounds. And since when do Asturian women wear warrior's uniforms?'_ Seeing no reason to stay any longer, Calypso excused herself. "I have things to attend to. I hope to see you another time." And with that, Calypso turned around and entered the castle, closely followed by Cyrce's officials. 

Once the large doors slammed shut, everyone seemed to have the same thing on their mind.

_'What was that all about?'_

Allen was the first to speak up. "Um…Van, what…"

"I don't know." Interrupted Van, _'And quite frankly I don't care.'_ He added as an afterthought. Merle stepped up to Van and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Lord Van, aren't you _forgetting something?" she hissed. _

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Hey Allen, guess who's returned?"

Allen just stared at Van, giving him a clueless expression. "What do you mean?"

Van glanced to his left and gestured with his head. Allen turned and got a better look at the woman in the green dress. He blinked a few times before realizing what was in front of him.

"H-Hitomi?" he stuttered.  

"Hi Allen." Hitomi smiled. 

"What…How…When…" Allen jabbered.

"Yes, she's returned. How? We don't know. When? Last night." Merle answered.

While Allen just stood there, looking shocked, Celina and Sara stepped forward and gave Hitomi a friendly hug. The three women immediately started chatting and after a while, Allen finally got over his shock and approached Hitomi as well. Van, however had an important matter to discuss with his advisors, so he made his way down the staircase, past the chattering group, and over to his council. As he approached, each of his advisors bowed to him. 

"I have an important matter I need to discuss with you once we get back inside." Van announced.

One of the men to Van's left spoke up. "I assume this matter has something to do with the return of the seeress?"

"Yes."

"Very well, we will wait for you in the council chamber." Each of the men bowed once more before heading up the stairs. After they passed the once chattering group, Hitomi caught Van's eye and have him the thumbs up. This calmed some of Van's nerves. Seeing Hitomi's reassuring face always had that effect on him. 

Van took a deep breath before heading back inside the castle, Hitomi's eyes following him.

"Where is he going?" Merle asked Hitomi.

"A meeting…"

                                                          * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Van was getting more and more frustrated by the minute. Finally he stopped his pacing and slammed his fist on the table.

"Why?" Van yelled angrily, causing several of his advisors to jump.

One of the men timidly stood, trying to subdue the young King. "Please your majesty, calm down. A divorce is nearly impossible under the circumstances. After all, the purpose of the marriage was to forge an alliance with Cyrce."

"Well, the alliance is set. We're already under contract. If we get a divorce now, by rules of the contract, Cyrce is still our ally." Van argued.

Another man stood up. "Yes, King Van, you're right. By the rules of the contract, Fanelia and Cyrce will remain allies for several years. However, by the rules of royal marriages, a divorce cannot be made without reasonable cause. And unfortunately, being in love with another woman is _not_ a good enough excuse." 

Van was defeated. There was nothing he could do. Cyrce has an impeccable reputation. There was no _good reason to get divorced._

Van sat back down in his chair and rested his head in his hand. 

One of the men to Van's right leaned forward. "King Van, we understand that you care deeply for the seeress. But a union between the two of you is impossible. Have you at all considered making her your concubine rather than your wife?" 

"No!" Once again, Van was on his feet and all of his advisors were looking somewhat fearful. "Don't you understand? I want Hitomi as my _wife. _Not as my_ mistress._" 

"But without probable cause…it's impossible." Murmured the man to Van's left. 

Realizing that there was nothing to be done, Van sat back down. "This meeting is adjourned. You are all excused." 

One by one, Van's advisors left the room and shut the door behind them, leaving their King alone in the chamber. Van sighed and put his face in his hands, trying to allow the still silence absorb him. A moment later, Van heard the groan of the chamber door open and then close. Thinking it was one of his advisors, he pretended he didn't know someone had entered the room. 

"Van?"

Realizing it was a woman speaking, Van removed his face from his hands and saw Hitomi standing at the opposite end of the table. 

"Hitomi, I didn't realize it was you."

"How did it go?" Hitomi asked, nervously. Van didn't notice that she was wringing her hands behind her back.

"Not good. I can't cancel the marriage without a good reason." Van wasn't about to tell her about his advisors suggestion that he make Hitomi his concubine. 

"Oh." Hitomi averted her gaze to the floor. "I didn't think so."

"I'm sorry Hitomi."

"Don't be. It's not your fault."

Van smiled. "You keep saying that, but I wonder if I could have done something to prevent all this."

Hitomi walked around the table and knelt down at his chair, taking his hands in hers. "Listen to me. Fanelia was in danger. You did what you thought was necessary to protect your people. There is _no_ wrong doing in that."

It was this moment Van realized how much Hitomi had grown since he first saw her…

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Celina Shezare seemed to be walking around aimlessly in the dark. Actually, she was looking for someone. Figuring that this person would be up in a tree on a cool night like this, Celina searched the tree's in the garden. Noticing a faint rustling in the branches of one particular tree, Celina realized she had found her target. 

"Merle!"

Sure enough, the cat-girl jumped down from the branch she had been sitting on and landed in front of the woman in armor. "Hey, Celina. What's up?"

"Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"How much do you know about Queen Calypso?"

Merle scowled and crossed her arms. "Well, I know she's got an attitude problem."

"Even more than you?" Celina asked with a sly smile.

"Yes, even more than me." Merle repeated in a mocking tone. "I don't trust her."

"Me neither." She agreed.

Merle looked down at Celina. _'Wait a minute. She agrees with me?' _

"What did she do to lose _your trust? You just met her."_

"I don't know. Something inside me just didn't feel right when I was around her."

"Does this have anything to do with Dilandau?" Merle asked while squinting her eyes at her. 

Celina thought for a minute before answering. "You know, it just might."

"Well, why not _ask him? You said that you could do that, last time I saw you."_

"Yeah, but, Allen was there to make sure nothing went wrong. Right now, he's busy, and this Calypso thing is eating me alive. So, I was wondering if _you_ would spot me." 

"Me? Why me?"

"Well, two reasons. One, I trust you more than most people." Merle swelled up in pride at this comment. "And two, if I _do_ get out of control, you're the one person who could escape Dilandau, unharmed, and alert the others. You're definitely fast enough and _loud_ enough for the job." Merle deflated at the comment of her being loud. 

"What do you mean, I'm loud?" Merle screamed. 

Celina merely smiled and said, "Told you so." Merle looked as if she was going to fight it, but changed her mind. "So will you help?"

"Oh…alright."

                                                * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Van quietly sneaked into his bedroom after walking Hitomi to her room. Luckily, Calypso wasn't here so Van would get a few peaceful moments to himself. Van made his way onto the balcony and sighed in relief as a warm wind blew across his face.  

A woman's voice penetrated his moment of silence. "It's a beautiful evening, isn't it Van." 

"I didn't hear you come in." 

_'Damn, she found me.'_

"I know." Van glanced at her wondering what that was supposed to mean, but left it alone. "Why don't you come to bed?"

"I'm not tired." Van lied. He hadn't slept in almost three days. 

"Oh come on. I know you didn't sleep last night, so you must be exhausted. Now, come to bed." 

"I don't want too." Van said in a more forceful tone. _'Who does this woman think she is?'_

"Shhh…There's no reason to get upset." Very slowly, Calypso made her way across the room and stopped right behind her husband. She placed her hands on each of his shoulder blades and an eerie glow seemed to radiate from them. Van felt as though some warm substance was spreading all over his body. All awhile, Calypso started humming an eerie song that gave Van a strange sense of bliss, as thought he didn't have a care in the world. But for whatever reason, his mind was not affected by her song. Van was just about to turn around and demand to know what she was doing, when he realize he couldn't move. His body was paralyzed. He tried to shout, but found he couldn't speak. He couldn't even move his lips.

Van's mind started screaming. _'What the heck is going on?'_

After he asked this question, he heard a voice inside his head that sounded exactly like Calypso's. _'You're under my spell.'_

_'What spell? What's happening?'_ But Van's mental screaming went unanswered. Uncontrollably, Van's body turned around and faced Calypso, who had stopped humming her song. She smiled. "Now, why don't you come to bed?"

"Alright." Van heard himself say. 

The two of them walked off the balcony and returned to their room…

**AN: Confused, are you? Well, just incase you didn't understand, Van can't control his body. I'm not telling you any more than that. You'll just have to wait until next chapter, but that won't come until I update my other story, "Flying High." Of course, I have to write that chaper first. Well, I got to go, cant talk cause I want to get this updated and then I have chores to do. **

**Oh, I'm starting a new policy. NO UPDATES UNTIL I GET AT LEAST……6 REVIEWS. I got the idea from a fellow author and I am now putting it into effect. So, REVIEW and tell me what you think!!! **

**Love ya sis! Hee hee, the fun stuff is beginning!!!**


	12. Was It A Dream?

**AN: Hi everyone. I know this update took forever. I kind of went on a writing spree with my other fic and I didn't want to stop, but now people are complaining, so I'm returning to this fic, although to be honest, I kind of forgot where I was going with this so forgive me if this chapter is bad. I'll do my best. I've been really busy lately with…stuff…*cough* school *cough* so updates will come less often for both my stories. Oh, just in case you didn't already know, I wrote a one shot, and I really like it so when you're done reading this chapter, read my other fic, "Operation: Golden Rule of Love Re-written." I bet you can guess what it's about!!! **

**Those of you who are Dilandau fans (DIMB being one of them!!! ^_~  ) You should all be very happy because he makes a special appearance in this chapter!!! I hope I portray him the right way. I don't want him to be too violent, that's just boring. I'm adding a little something new, which will be explained in later chapters to come. Yup yup!!!**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own Escaflowne, so stop asking me!!!**

**Chapter Twelve: Was It A Dream? **

Everything around Merle gave off a sense of foreboding. The night sky above her was clear, but thick clouds could be seen, making there way over to Fanelia like an army ready to invade. The Mystic moon continued to glow its eerie light, some of its rays penetrating the leaves on the tree that hovered over Merle and Celina. Everything about the situation _would make anyone nervous, but Merle couldn't help but wonder if it was something else that was eating at her. Oh sure, the fact that she was about to encounter a crazed pyromaniac in the middle of the night, away from any other people, quite alone where no one could see you was indeed unnerving, but for some reason, Merle almost sensed that something _else _was a miss. But she had no idea what it was._

"Are you sure you're up to this Merle?" Celina asked calmly. "I'm not sure how Dilandau will react to all this." 

"Don't worry, I'll handle him. Besides, it's worth the risk if I get to find out something juicy on that Calypso woman." Merle retorted, her claws clenching at the thought. "Let's just get it over with." 

Slightly relieved by the cat-girl's confidence, Celina took a deep breath and muttered to herself. "Here we go…" Celina's mind and body relaxed as she allowed the second voice to take over. It felt almost like falling asleep, but she dared not to let go completely. While she allowed Dilandau to take over her body, she fought to stay aware of what was going on. She couldn't exactly read his thoughts, but she could sense some of his feelings. If he grew too hostile, she would take control again…or at least try.

Merle watched in awe as Celina closed her eyes and her body began to subtly change, bit by bit. Her hair turned paler and her demeanor changed to that of someone who was rather cocky. At last, her face turned slightly white and thinner and then she opened her eyes, but _she was no longer a she. Instead of seeing a pair of bright blue eyes, fiery red eyes stared back at Merle. This person standing before her was no longer Celina Shezare, but Dilandau Abatou. _

Dilandau smiled at the cat-girl who wasn't aware that her mouth was hanging open. "Good evening, little Merle." He smirked.

"I am not little!" Merle yelled without realizing it. 

Dilandau raised an eyebrow. "Well, you certainly have changed since the last time I saw you. I almost killed you then." He said with a slight bit of amusement in his voice.

"No, you're wrong. Hitomi pushed me out of the way. _She was the one you almost killed."_

Dilandau's eyes flashed. "Yes, that's right…I remember…" he let out a laugh that seemed to echo through the trees. "Those were the good old days."

Instinctively, Dilandau reached his hand to his hip and pulled out Celina's sword. Merle stiffened, realizing too late that Celina should have removed her weapons before they started on her little experiment. Despite the fact that Dilandau wasn't facing Merle, he still felt her anxiety.

"Don't worry, little girl, I'm not going to hurt you." Dilandau sliced at an invisible foe several times, listening to the swooshing noises of the air. After admiring the glistening shine of the blade for a moment, he returned his sword to its sheath. "So, what is it you and Celina wanted to ask me?"

"We wanted to know…wait a minute, how did you know that's what we wanted…"

Dilandau whirled around. "Don't ask stupid questions!" he snapped. "You're wasting my time." 

Merle jumped backwards slightly, realizing that she was still afraid of the pyro. 

_'Come on Merle, get a grip on yourself. The sooner you ask him the question, the sooner you get an answer, and then _he'll_ be gone.'_

"What can you tell us about Calypso?"

"Ah, the infamous Calypso, eh?" Dilandau looked thoughtful. "Well, I can tell you one thing for sure, she's no ordinary human. There's something weird about her, something not quite right."

"Well, even _I _knew that woman was weird, but what do you mean she's no _ordinary human?"_

"I meant what I said!" he snapped. "I sensed something while I was around her."

"What? What did you sense?"

Dilandau ignored Merle's question and began searching the grassy floor. He found a palm-sized stone to his right and bent over to pick it up.

"What did you sense?" Merle repeated, a little louder this time.

Again, he ignored her. Instead, he took out a dagger from its sheath on his leg and tossed it into the air, catching it by its hilt easily. He did this three or four times before stopping to sharpen the blade with the stone, and then tossed it into the air again. 

Merle was all too aware that Dilandau was toying with her, which only made her angrier.

"Just give me an answer _Dilandau_!" Merle snapped.

Dilandau stopped and widened his eyes. "Well well, the little girl _does_ have a voice. However," he took a threatening step towards Merle which made her cower slightly. "She had better learn how to say my name with respect." Dilandau sighed heavily, starting to grow a little tired of the cat-girl. "Calypso has some sort of magical aura around her, kind of like Van's. All those other women who were with her also had that same aura, but theirs wasn't as strong."

Finally, Merle received the answer to her question. 

_'So, Calypso has an aura. That can only mean she's got magical powers too. I've got to warn Lord Van!'_

Merle looked directly into Dilandau's fiery eyes. "Okay Celina, I'm done now!" she yelled.

Dilandau grinned. "Oh come on, can't I play a little longer?"

Almost a second later, the fiery red eyes became a shade of deep ocean blue. Merle exhaled a sigh of relief, quickly recovered, then jumped to her feet and ran to Celina's face.

"About time you came back!" she yelled. "That guy is crazy. He still creeps me out." Merle shivered. 

"Sorry about that." Celina looked down at her hand and realized that her side dagger was unsheathed and in her fist. Her heart gave a sudden jolt. "He didn't try anything, did he?"

Merle folded her arms. "No, he was just playing around."

"Oh, good." She may have sounded relieved but she was still troubled by the fact that she hadn't even sensed that happening.

_'I need to find a way to keep a better eye out on Dilandau when he's out and about.'_

Celina sheathed her dagger. "So what did he say about Calypso?"

Merle dove right in, seeing no way how to break the news easy. "She and everybody else from Circe have some sort of magical power that they're hiding."

"What!?"

"Yeah, Dilandau could sense their aura."

"That is _not_ good. If they've got magical powers, Van is in serious danger!"

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Phoebe sat alone in her room, still as a statue yet filled with anxiety. She could feel it. Calypso's magic. Its scent was everywhere, distinct to only those who knew how to cast it. The spell of absolute control which Van was being subject to.

It would be over soon. It doesn't take long for men to succumb to _the song_. Phoebe could already feel the initiation spell wear off. By now, Van was completely under Calypso's control. Nothing could save him now…except _her. _

Phoebe stood, crossed to the other end of the room, and examined herself in the mirror. A beautiful yet worried woman stared back at her. She reached up and clutched a necklace that was hidden underneath her nightgown. She watched as her reflection did the same. 

_'I've done everything in my power to prevent Circe from getting this, but now that Calypso has Van under her control, she has easily found another one for herself. All my years of fighting and lying have been in vain.'_

A faint glowing began to come from within her hand. She withdrew it, pulled the necklace off of her, and held it before her eyes. The light from the small pinkish gem cast shadows on the woman's face. She shut her eye lids and cleared her mind of all unnecessary thoughts. 

_'What will my next course of action be?'_

                                                * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

_Hitomi walked without knowing where she was going. Everything around her seemed familiar, yet she had never been here before. Something was willing her to keep going. _

_As she pressed forward, small dust clouds rose around her feet with the occasional rock being kicked out of the way. She stopped. Before her lie a great precipice where night seemed to devour all life. _

_Footsteps.__ Hitomi turned around and saw a dark figure emerge from the shadows. As it came closer, the figure began to take shape._

_'Calypso?__ What are you doing here?'_

_Still approaching Hitomi, Calypso's mouth opened to speak but it wasn't her voice that escaped her lips._

_"Hitomi, run away."___

_It was Van's voice. Hitomi then realized that Calypso's eyes were not her own either. They were crimson red. Van's eyes._

_'Van?__ What's going on?'_

_Calypso reached her hand towards Hitomi's face. Again, she spoke in monotone._

_"Run, Hitomi. Run away."_

_'But why?'___

_Calypso's hand grabbed a hold of Hitomi's neck and squeezed, like the grip of a vice, a triumphant smile on her face. As soon as her hand made contact with Hitomi's skin, Calypso's body transfigured itself into Van's, a look of overwhelming sorrow on his face._

_"Why didn't you run?"_

_Hitomi felt the ground fall away from her feet as Van lifted her into the air._

_'Why…' Hitomi choked. _

_"I can't help it."_

_Van held Hitomi's form over the edge of the cliff. In an instant, Hitomi realized what Van was about to do. Desperately, she tried to tell him to stop, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a strangled cry._

_All at once, Van released his iron grip and Hitomi fell into the sea of black, Calypso's laughter ringing in her ears…_

"Stop!"

Hitomi awoke with a start, covered in perspiration, and clutching at her bed sheets. Her eyes darted around the room as she fought to gain control of her breathing. Everything in the room _seemed as if it were in its right place._

After taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down, Hitomi swung her legs over the side of the bed and slowly stood. She walked over to her dresser, which now contained all of her belongings, and grabbed a hand towel. She then sat down at her vanity desk and watched as her reflection began soaking up the perspiration with the towel. 

Then, from the corner of the mirror, Hitomi spotted movement. Although all the windows and doors were shut, the white cloth that draped over a small table was moving slightly, as if there were a breeze. Just beneath the hem of the cloth was a small, fuzzy paw.

Sighing deeply, Hitomi stood and approached the table. Falling to her knees, she grabbed the bottom of the cloth and pulled it up revealing what was under the table.

"Merle!"

Quick as lightening, the cat girl darted from her hiding spot and sat four legged in the middle of the room looking pure and innocent.

"I didn't do it!"

"You didn't do what?" Hitomi asked, eyebrows raised.

"I don't know."

Hitomi gave a hollow laugh. "Why are you here?"

"I'm _bored." She sighed. _

"Why don't you go and trample Van? You never get tired of that."

"I can't. He hasn't come out of his room yet."

This struck Hitomi as slightly suspicious.

_'That's odd. Van's always been an early riser. Maybe he was just tired.'_

Merle ran around Hitomi once and then jumped onto her bed.

"You were talking in your sleep again." She said in a sing-song voice.

Hitomi blushed in embarrassment. "I did? What did I say?"

"You were mostly mumbling 'Why' over and over again. In the end, you screamed 'Stop' and then you woke up."

"That's it?" 

"Yup. So, what were you dreaming about?"

Hitomi tried to remember everything that had happened, but the details were slipping away.

"I don't remember much. It was nighttime and I was standing at the edge of a cliff and…" Hitomi broke off, trying to recall what came next.

"And?" Merle persisted.

"…and then somehow Calypso appeared…no wait, it was Van…or maybe both. I'm not sure."

"Not sure? How can you_ not tell the difference between them? They're complete opposites."_

Hitomi laughed at Merle's little joke. 

"Come on, let's go and wake Van up. I'm sure he'll be upset if he realizes he's slept in this long." Hitomi said while grabbing a robe and putting it on.

"We can't"

"Why not?"

A pause. "Calypso's in there." She said without looking up. 

Hitomi's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, I see." 

_'Calypso caught up with Van faster than I thought she would.'_

Hitomi began to feel a familiar pang in her heart, a feeling which she had grown accustom too in the past 48 hours. It was hard, being in love with a man who was married to another woman. The guilt of not getting to Gaea sooner, before the wedding, grew with each passing moment. Already, she was beginning to wonder how this relationship was going to work. 

Merle cast a furtive look at Hitomi's face and saw doubt written all over it. Scowling, Merle jumped off the bed and stormed up to Hitomi. 

"Oh no you don't! Don't you _dare start doubting now. Van and I worked way too hard to get you here in the first place."_

"I know but…"

"No butt's!"

"But Merle…"

"No excuses!" Merle shouted. "I don't care what that sniveling Calypso woman does. She can't turn Van away from you. Van loves you, only you, and he's going to love you until the day he dies. And even then he'll still love you. So deal with it!"

Even though Hitomi suspected that all of Fanelia heard Merle's outburst, she appreciated it all the same. Once again she was smiling. 

"Thanks Merle."

Merle turned her back to Hitomi and crossed her arms. "Why are you thanking me? I didn't do anything except state the obvious." She looked back at Hitomi and winked.

"Alright then, how about we both go down to the dinning hall for some breakfast? Maybe by the time we finish, Van will be out of bed."

Merle's eyes were alight as soon as Hitomi mentioned food.

"Okay!" 

                                                * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

_'This has to be a dream. I've just got to be dreaming.'_

But it wasn't a dream. Van lay on his bed, eyes open, yet paralyzed. He had thought that Calypso was still asleep when he tried to sneak out of bed, but she wasn't. She stopped him from leaving with a single word.

"Stay"

Immedietly, Van's body complied and he lay back down. Calypso slept on while Van stayed awake, staring at the ceiling for almost three hours now. 

_'I can't move. What did she do to me?'_

As if to answer his question, Calypso sat up from her side of the bed and turned her head to look at Van.

"I told you already. I put a spell on you."

Van's mind screamed out loud. _'Why?!'___

"Because we need you."

_'Who's__ we?'_

"My country, Circe. We need you for the things your country has, and for something _you_ have. Speaking of which…" Calypso moved over to Van's side of the bed and leaned over him slightly. "…I'm going to borrow this for a while." Calypso placed her fingers on the pendant that rested on Van's chest. 

_'Get your filthy hands off of it!'_

Calypso smiled maliciously as she reached behind Van's neck to unclasp the pendant.

"Is that any way to speak to your wife?"

_'You are _not _my wife!'_

Calypso ignored Van's comment and brought the pendant around her own neck, still smiling as she felt Van's contempt for her.

"Thanks for the wedding present Van." She caressed the pendant delicately with her finger tips.

Van fought the restraints of her magic, trying to reach up and rip the pendant off her neck. But his fruitless attempts didn't grant him so much as a twitch of a finger. Inside him, Van wished to punch hi fist through something, anything to vent his anger and frustration, but he remained still and motionless. 

Calypso could see what was going on inside Van's mind. He was putting up a terrific fight, and although she didn't show it, she was having a slight difficulty controlling him. It took an abnormally larger amount of energy to subdue him. True, she had not expected Van to have such a well disciplined and aware mind. Most men who were put under her spell don' even realize they are bewitched. But not only did Van immediately recognize that he couldn't control himself, but he was fighting her spell as well. Indeed, Calypso couldn't help but feel a slight sense of respect and admiration towards Van. 

Calypso averted her gaze towards the bedroom door.

"Enter."

Van heard the door open and close but he didn't remember hearing anyone knocking.

"You summoned me, my Queen."

A woman's voice. It sounded familiar.

The newcomer must have gestured towards Van because Calypso responded saying, "Don't worry, Phoebe. The Voice has him."

_'Phoebe?'_

Calypso heard Van's mental outburst and shot a questioning glare at Phoebe.

"You two have met?"

Knowing full well that Calypso could sense when people lied, Phoebe told the truth, just not the whole truth. However, it was enough to satisfy the new Queen.

"We met briefly after the wedding."

Now that Calypso's full attention was distracted, Van was free to think without fear of her overhearing. _'I don't understand, this doesn't make sense.__ If Phoebe is working for Calypso, why did she help me earlier?'_

"Interesting. Phoebe, I'm placing you in charge of keeping watch over the seeress. I don't want her poking around and getting in the way of our plans."

"Does she know something _already, your majesty?"_

"No, but she's a seeress. It's likely she's _already_ had a vision of the future, even though she may not know it yet."

"I understand."

"You may go."

The bedroom door whined slightly when Phoebe left the room. Once again, Calypso's full attention was on Van. He took this opportunity to try and get some answers form the woman.

"What is Phoebe going to do to Hitomi?" As important as that question was, Van gasped when he realized he had said the question out loud. In one swift motion, Van dashed off the bed, grabbed his sword that was leaning against his bedside table, and unsheathed it. He was prepared to slice the woman's head off at the first sign of trickery. Calypso, however, merely laughed at Van's deadly glare.

"You're such a dupe. Drop it."

Van's hand relaxed and the sword fell to the floor with a clatter. He looked at his hand and flexed it. _He hadn't let go of his sword. His hand had responded to _Calypso's_ command. _

"I'm not going to release control of you _that_ easily. I just thought it would be easier to have a conversation _this_ way. So don't try anything or I'll be forced to hurt you."

"I'm not afraid of you."

"You're not? Well you _should be. You should be afraid of what will happen to your precious seeress if you try something like that again."_

"Don't you _dare touch her!"_

"I won't have to. I could order one of my servants to do it for me." Calypso smiled maliciously as a new thought came to mind. "I could even make _you_ do it for me. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Now Van realized what a dangerous situation he was in. Not only dangerous for him, but for Hitomi and his county as well every one who was close to him, anyone in Fanelia was in danger as long as Van couldn't control himself. Endless scenarios flew through Van's mind: Calypso forcing Van to declare war against allied countries, oppressing the Fanelian people into submission, removing the law that makes humans and human-animals were equals. Every scenarios lead to the same result: Chaos and suffering. Van couldn't let that happen. He _wouldn't _let that happen. 

Calypso could almost see the wheels turning in Van's head as he understood the impact her words had on him. "So, are you going to behave? I want an answer."

"Yes." He said shortly through gritted teeth.

"Good." Calypso smiled.

"What are you going to do with Hitomi?"

"Nothing, for now. As long as she stays out of my way, I'll let her live."

"What about Fanelia?"

Calypso climbed out of bed and walked over to a closet. She slid open the door and pulled out a robe. "I think it's about time we started planning our honeymoon." 

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"I think a nice romantic trip to Dragon's Canyon would be nice. What do you think?"

Van looked utterly confused. He knew there was a hidden meaning to her words, but he couldn't figure it out. What was the significance of Dragon's Canyon? It was a dragon graveyard, far from what he would call romantic. It didn't make sense.

"I don't get it. What do you mean?"

"Oh come on, Van, as the _right question. Use your head. Think."_

She wanted Van to know _part of her plan, but she wasn't going to just _tell _him. She wanted him to figure it out for himself. She already gave him enough clues to make a rudimentary guess._

Van didn't like being toyed with like he was, but there wasn't much he could do about it. All he could do was play her game.

_'Okay, think. Dragon's Canyon is a dragon graveyard. It's only real value is the energists inside the dragon fossils so maybe she's hoping to mine some energists down there. But that seems too simple. Wait! Calypso said she needed both me and my country.' _Van glanced at the pendent now hanging from Calypso's neck. _She needed _me _to get the pendant and she needed Fanelia in order to get inside Dragon's Canyon. I can understand her wanting the pendant for its magical properties but what's so important about Dragon's Canyon besides energists. Unless…there's something else…'_

Suddenly, Van knew which question to ask.

"What's inside Dragon's Canyon?"

Calypso was pleased. "Very clever, Van. You're not a dupe after all." 

**AN: Ahhhh…I go through all this trouble to write a long chapter, and it's a cliffhanger. Ha ha…sorry. At first I wasn't going to post this chapter until I reached a certain part of the story, but I decided to add a few things before that happens so this chapter ended up a little too long. There's no way for me to tell for sure when I'll update next. School is especially hard this year and I'm struggling to keep my grades up, but I'm still determined to finish this story, so every spare moment I have will be dedicated to writing the next chapter. I think I'm gonna stick with this story for a while since I've been inspired. If I stop, I'll forget all the great ideas I have now.  **

**Also, I had a really funny dream involving the cast from Yu-Gi-oh and X-Men so I plan on writing a short fic based on my dream. It's going to be really funny so keep your eyes open for that.**

**Now, I'd like to thank all my reviewers for sending threatening reviews and e-mails that encouraged me to keep writing. It was just the kick in the pants I needed, so this chapter is for you. Thanks!**

**Here's a shout out to my "son." HI HARRY!!! YOUR DEAD FATHER MISSES YOU!!! ~_^**

**Sayonara for now!**

**…AND DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW!!!**


	13. Another Victim

**AN: Oh me, oh my, I'ya fella downa anda broke-a my-a elo bone. Hey, I have a question, when did I suddenly change Calypso's name? I just took a look at some of my old chapters and I realize that I originally called her Calysto, but now I call her Calypso. Huh…well, I like Calypso better...but still, I didn't like a lot of what I wrote a while back…maybe when I'm done writing , I re-write this story…you know, clean it up a bit. But that'll come later. Now, just read, cause it's taken me way to long to write this anywho and I'm sure your all restless. **

**Disclaimer: Nope, me no onies. I don't even own my broken elo bone. **

**Chapter Thirteen: Another Victim **

"Actually, Van, I think you're quite familiar with what's inside Dragon's Canyon. Except the difference between you and I is _I_ am going to _wield that power inside the canyon, where as _you_ destroyed it last time."_

"Destroyed what?" 

Again, he received no answer, so he thought. _'I destroyed something in Dragon's Canyon? I don't think so…maybe I destroyed something linked to Dragon's Canyon…wait! Zaibach's energist mine! During the Great War, I destroyed an energist mine. Maybe that's what Calypso is talking about, but, what sort of _power _was she talking about?'_

He needed more information so he pretended to know what Calypso was referring to. "What does an energist mine have to do with anything?" Unfortunately, Calypso saw right through his attempt at confidence. 

She shook her head. "Sorry Van, you asked the wrong question. You lose!" Calypso waved her hand in Van's direction and he suddenly collapsed to the ground. She was taking control of him again and Van was fighting to stay free.

"No…get out…of my head…" he gasped. 

The new Queen smiled. "There's no use fighting me Van. You're only hurting yourself, and I'd rather you stay alive, at least for now."

Van grabbed his head with his hands growled from the effort of fighting her spell. "You…don't…control…me…" 

Calypso walked around the bed, over to Van's side, and knelt down on one knee in front of him. She placed each of her hands on the sides of Van's face and brought her head to the level of his eyes. "Actually Van, I do." She leaned forward and kissed him on the corner of his mouth and Van's resisting was quenched. 

Calypso stood and held out her hand. "Come, escort me to breakfast. I'm hungry." Van looked up at her with indifferent eyes and took her hand. He rose up, brought his other hand to her cheek, and said, "As you wish, my lady."

Once again, _she was in control. _

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Breakfast came and went and still there was no sign of Van. Merle and Hitomi purposely ate slowly in hopes of seeing him enter the dinning hall, but he never came. Eventually they had to leave because if they stayed any longer, they'd be eating lunch as well with their breakfast. Hitomi and Merle decided to go out to the market since being cooped up inside the castle all day was far from their idea of a good time, especially without Van. Hitomi had assumed that Van had left without breakfast and was doing business elsewhere. 

Hitomi and Merle wandered the streets for several hours, glancing at the new jewelry for sale (this time without finding a CD), watching leviships disembark, and playing tag with some young kids from the village. All and all, it was a good day. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing, and there was no reason to be unhappy or upset at all. 

But Merle was worried. She did a great job at hiding it. Hitomi didn't even notice the slight difference in her behavior, but still, Merle was worried. Dilandau's words constantly echoed in her ears, sometimes they threatened to explode out of her head. The wonder of why Van didn't show up for breakfast, the threat that Van was married to a sorceress, and the terror that Calypso may have another agenda besides a marriage alliance was almost unbearable. Oh how she wished she could make her worries known to Hitomi, but she didn't want to until she knew for sure that Dilandau was right. Also, she didn't want to be the only one to tell her. Merle needed Celina for moral support as well, but she wasn't anywhere to be seen. 

Hours passed by until it was almost dusk, at which time the children whom Hitomi and Merle had been playing with had to return home to prepare dinner.

"Bye Hitomi. Bye Merle. See ya later." Waved one little girl as she ran home.

"Bye!" Merle and Hitomi shouted in unison. The two of them waved until the little girl turn her back and entered her house.

Hitomi turned back to Merle. "Come on, let's return to the castle before it gets too dark. Maybe we'll catch Van at dinner."

"Okay!" Once again, Merle jumped at the thought of food. "I hope we're having fish."

Hitomi laughed all the way to the castle. 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hitomi must have miscalculated the time because by the time she and Merle reached the castle, dinner had already started. Merle was practically pushing Hitomi all the way to the door, screaming, "Come on Hitomi, we're going to miss the fish."

Just to annoy Merle, Hitomi purposely walked slowly all the way to the dinning hall door. Eventually, Merle gave up and ran the last few feet to the door, shoved them open, and ran to her spot at the table. The rest of the occupants of the room paid the two late comers no heed and they continued to eat and talk with each other. However, Hitomi didn't take her place at the table. At first glance, she smiled to herself as Merle helped herself to some fish, but then she noticed that the head chair was empty.

_'Van still isn't here…'_

Hitomi looked at the chair beside Van's, the chair that now belonged to Calypso. It too was empty.

_'Where ever he is, Calypso is with him…'_

Without a word, Hitomi turned her heal and left. The door slowly closed on it's own behind her.

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

She had looked everywhere for him. She looked in the garden, in the weapons room, the roof, and even the bedroom but Van was nowhere to be seen. Hitomi was practically running down all the corridors since everyone was in the dinning hall. Soon, dinner would be over and Hitomi would have to resort to walking, which took way too long.

Hitomi stopped for a moment to catch her breath. She put her hands onto her knees and took deep calming breaths. She felt her heart beat slow down a little and some of her tension leave here. She stood upright and realized that she could hear footsteps. Around the corner a woman appeared and she turned in the opposite direction, not noticing Hitomi's presence. 

"Excuse me!" Hitomi called.

The woman turned around and acknowledged Hitomi. "May I help you?" 

"Hi, um, I was wondering if you've seen Va…I mean, Lord Van."

The woman pointed in the direction she had just come from. "He's in his study room with Queen Calypso. They've been in there all day, planning their honeymoon." 

"Oh…okay…thanks."

"Your welcome." 

"Oh, I'm Hitomi."

"Phoebe, nice to meet you Hitomi."

"You too." 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Calypso sat on Van's study desk, playing with the pink jewel which hung from her neck. "Tell me, Van, how much longer is this going to take."

"I only have one more form to fill out."

"Good, I'm getting tired and I want to go to bed soon."

"Patience, my Queen."

Calypso grinned. "You know, a girl could get used to this treatment. After all this business is over, I may just decide to keep you around. You can be quite charming if I just pull the right strings."

_'Don't you even think about it. I'd rather die than spend the rest of my life being controlled by _you!_'_

Calypso shrugged. "Well if you keep up that attitude, you may just get your wish. And your precious seeress can join you." She said with a wave of her hand. "Now hurry up, I don't want to miss din…"

_'Queen Calypso, I'm sorry to disturb you.'_ It was Phoebe. Calypso had told everyone that she was not to be disturbed unless it was an emergency. Calypso knew that no one would disobey her orders unless it was absolutely necessary.  

_'No, that's alright Phoebe. What is the problem?'_

_'The seeress is on her way to the study. I just wanted to forewarn you.'_

_'Thank you Phoebe, continue with your duties.'_

_'Yes my Queen.'_

Calypso looked at Van, who had stopped writing for a moment to stare at the new Queen. She had been in a middle of a sentence when she was interrupted by the mind link she shared with the other women from Circe. 

"What happened?" Van asked. Even the suppressed Van wanted to know what had happened to Calypso. 

"Apparently your seeress is on her way here at this very moment."

Van didn't like the new glint that had formed in Calypso's eye. She was up to something, and whatever it was, it wasn't good.

_'You leave her alone!' _

"Oh don't worry, I'm not going to do anything." She said innocently. "I'll let _you be the judge on how to treat her." Calypso began to walk towards a dark corner of the room. "I'll just wait right here and watch the show."_

_'Calypso, stop! What are you planning to do? Calypso!'_

Three sharp taps echoed from the door.

"Enter." Van said monotonously as he continued to scribble on the paper in front of him.  

The door creaked open as Hitomi immerged, looking left and right for any sign of Calypso. She didn't see any, so she stepped forward and shut the door behind her. 

_'Hitomi, go back. Calypso is planning something, please, leave!'_

_'She can't hear you Van, just give up.'_

"Hi."

No response.

_'Hitomi, can you hear me?'_

"Um, what are you doing?"

Van continued to write on his paper, never looking up. "I am planning my honeymoon to Dragon's Canyon."

"Oh, I see." Hitomi looked away. "I didn't see you today, where were you?"

"I was busy." Van said shortly. 

Van seemed a little too stressed, so Hitomi tried to lighten the mood. 

"Have you been avoiding me?" Hitomi asked in a playful tone.

"Yes!" He snapped.

_'No!'_

Hitomi jumped slightly at his harsh tone. That wasn't the answer she was expecting. Nor was that the reaction she had thought she would get. Something wasn't right, and she could sense it.

"What's wrong?" 

_'Hitomi, Calypso has taken control of me!'_

"Nothing's wrong."

Hitomi frowned. "You're lying to me. Tell me the truth."

Van pounded his fists on the desk. "Don't you give _me orders __woman."_

Hitomi turned slightly pale. "Woman? Van, you've never called me _that_ before."

Van looked up from his desk and sent a piercing stare at Hitomi. "Don't address me so in formal, woman. I am ruler of this county and that entitles me to some respect. You will address me as 'My lord' or 'My King', understand?"

_'No! Hitomi, wait, I didn't mean that. Please, can you hear me?'_

Hitomi stared wide eyed at Van. Her mouth opened but no words came out.

"Do you understand?" he shouted, making Hitomi jump again.

Hitomi bowed her head and spoke in a whisper. "I understand…my lord."

"Now get out."

_'Wait, stay here!'___

"I'm sorry I disturbed you…my lord." She bowed her head again and turned to leave.

_'Hitomi, listen to me! I'm right here! Wait!'_

Van caught one last pain stricken look from Hitomi before her face disappeared behind the closing door. Once he heard the click of the door, Calypso re-appeared from the dark corner of the room, smiling broadly and clapping her hands. 

"Well done, Van. That should keep _her away for quite a while."_

_'You b…'_

"Now now, Van, watch you language. It's not becoming of you to swear." She interrupted. 

_'Just…stop hurting the people I care about!'_

"You see Van, normally I would, but it just so happens that_ they_ keep getting in the way of my plans. You should be thanking me that's _all_ I did to your precious seeress. A few more encounters like that and I'll be forced to get rid of her, _permanently."_

_'If you harm her, I will not rest until I see you _dead_ on the floor.'_

Calypso shrugged. "Empty threats." She walked towards the door, placed her hand on the handle and opened it. "Come, it's late and you need your sleep."

Van blew out the candles on his desk, stood up and made his way to Calypso. He linked his arm with hers and escorted her out of the room.

                                    * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

After first meeting the seeress, Phoebe only watched as Hitomi had walked away in the direction of the study room. As soon as she was out of sight, Phoebe remembered what she had to do, however revolting the duty was.

She had to let Calypso know that Hitomi was on her way.

_'I hate to do this but…I have no choice.'_

Phoebe's eyes glazed over and she felt as if part of her body was floating away, but the sensation didn't bother her. She was used to it; everyone who was from Circe was used to it. This is what you had to do in order to communicate with each other secretly. 

_'Queen Calypso, I'm sorry to disturb you.'_

_'No, that's alright Phoebe. What is the problem?'_

_'The seeress is on her way to the study. I just wanted to forewarn you.'_

_'Thank you Phoebe, continue with your duties.'_

_'Yes my Queen.'_

How she hated to say those words. If she had been speaking them, she would have to exercise great control not to lash out or bite her tongue. Luckily, she was very skilled in the art of mental communication. Therefore, Calypso didn't suspect that the traitor was, in fact, Phoebe…

The world around her came back into focus as she came out of her trance. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to undo the knot that had formed in her stomach. All of the sneaking around, stabbing people she cared for in the back, and working for those…people…was all starting to wear on her. It wouldn't be long before she snapped, which meant that Calypso's plot needed to end…and it needed to end quickly. 

In a matter of minutes, the blur of a running girl sped around the corner, completely oblivious to her presence. It was Hitomi, and she was crying. 

Phoebe's heart went out to the girl, but Hitomi wouldn't know it. She just kept running, just running, and in only a few moments, she was gone. No doubt she was headed for the gardens. That was the place to be if you wanted to be alone. 

Phoebe began walking in that direction, again trying to decide what her next move would be. When did she want this whole ordeal to be over? She definitely didn't want it to go on for more than a week. She vaguely thought of five days being the limit. Whatever it would be, it would have to be soon. And she would help it come closer if needed be.

She reached a window which overlooked the gardens. Moonlight flooded the dark corridor and Phoebe's silhouette was painted into the frame. She looked out into the trees and could barely see the huddled form of the seeress under a tree. Now she was a victim of the Circe plot, and she wasn't the last, nor the first. 

_'Maybe I should tell her what's really going on…'_

But before she could even finish the thought, a pulsing light radiated from under her dress where a necklace lay hidden. It glowed brighter, then softer, then brighter again. It seemed to communicate a message that only the wearer could understand.

_'Alright…not yet…'_

Casting a last glance at Hitomi, Phoebe slowly walked back to her room. 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

After Hitomi had ran out of the castle, she found a secluded area in the trees where she could sit and think. The temptation to cry, at first, almost took over her emotions, but she didn't. Instead, she sat with her back to the tree trunk and pondered. 

Thoughts such as _'Maybe Van was in a bad mood…' _or _'Maybe someone was in that room and I didn't notice…'_ often popped into her head. Basically, she couldn't figure out why Van spoke to her in that way. Nothing made sense. The day before, he seemed perfectly normal, but now…he's different. Hitomi was confused, very confused. 

Eventually, she resigned herself to confront Van again the next day. Hitomi stood up, brushed off the dirt that was on her skirt, and walked back towards the castle. Tomorrow, she would give him a chance to explain himself. 

**AN: I'm so sorry that chapter took so long. I really wish I had more time on my hands…actually, I wish a had a laptop, then I WOULD have more time on my hands…cause I only get to write when I'm home, and most of the time, I'm not home…so…HEY SANTA CLAUSE…I'M GIVING YOU A BIG HINT RIGHT HERE!!! Oh well, I don't think he can hear me. **

**No guarantees as to when the next chapter will be up, but I'll get it done as soon as possible. Thanks for all of your patience!!! It means a lot…oh, and feel free to yell at me via e-mail whenever you want. I've been getting a few of those lately and they actually give me inspiration. Without them, this chapter would have come a lot later than usual. I just need a couple kicks in the butt every now and then to get me writing again. **

**Thanks for reading!!!**

**Here's just a few shout outs to people because…um…because I can.**

**Harry, where's that HP story you were talking about? I can't wait to read it. I miss you a lot, oh, and I have a Christmas present for you, but I'm not going to tell you what it is yet…it's really cool, and I don't even need an owl to send it!!! Love, _Prongs_**


	14. Betrayed By Those You Love

**AN: Hi everyone! It's me, no I haven't died. I felt so bad about not updating, I decided to answer some mail, but I might have left someone out…if I did, thanks for reviewing anyway!!!**

**Neithan02: *runs away* DON'T KICK ME!!! PLEASE!!! I'm RUNNING- I mean WRITING as fast as I can…**

**Dreamboat Annie: Sorry to leave you in suspense, but it's SO MUCH FUN!!!!!! Waka waka waka!!!!! Yes, I know Van was being mean to Hitomi, but he can't help it, he's trying not too…but…it's about to get a lot worse…*hint hint*…Well, I know this chapter took a lot longer than I hoped but…oh well, just read. Enjoy!!!!**

**Gtkvan: Question. Who's Maleficent? Oh, and in future chapters, you are gonna really hate Calypso. And…go easy on Van?...NEVER…I'M GOING TO MAKE BOTH VAN AND HITOMI SUFFER!!!!!!!! Muahahahahaha……..well I better shut up before I give something away. Thanks for reviewing. Every bit helps!!!**

**Dilandau-is-My-Boyfriend: LOL…Enjoy your dinner and I hope you're still not sick. I'll be looking forwards for your hp fic. Hope your doing well. Enjoy this next chapter…heh heh…I'm evil…**

**Dark faerie2: Why do I keep people in suspense? Because it's fun!!!!!!! DUH!!!!!!!**

**Kaurin: I don't know what glomp means either. It sounds something like jumping on something and then they fall to the floor…Glomp…whatever…as for Hitomi, she's not _completely_ clueless, but that'll be revealed in future chapters…Oh, I wrote that Japanese thing a long time ago. Currently, I'm taking Japanese as my foreign language, so…if YOU need any help, you can ask me!...and I don't mind long reviews, in fact, I love them.  They make me feel special that someone took their time to talk to me *sighs happily* …oh my name? Well, I don't know if you follow the show Yu-Gi-oh but that's where my name comes from. Just in case you don't follow Yu-Gi-oh, here's how my name works:  The main character (Yugi) has an accessory hanging from his neck, in the shape of an upside-down pyramid called the "Millennium Puzzle" ,so, it's Yugi's Millennium Puzzle… Yugis M Puzzle…Yugismpuzzle!!! Ha ha!!!! I really like this name. this name is also my e-mail address, but I may have to change it cause I'm getting too much junk mail…well, that's it, I think I've blabbed on long enough, so, I'll just let you read the story…  :P Thanks for Reviewing…*glomps you*…LOL…. **

**Inda: Hee hee….yeah, Calypso is quite the…booger…sorry but she's gonna have to stick around a while longer. Thanks for reading *grins* SHE LOVES MY STORY!!! YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!**

**Sean Montgomery: Yay, someone else likes my story. No, I don't mind the late review. I love ALL reviews…I'm _that _desperate. Oh…who died…Sirius Black…*sob*…I really liked him…I was depressed after reading that book for weeks, and I still don't have the heart to read it again, although some really funny stuff happened with Fred and George…but if you want to find out what, either read the book, or REVIEW AGAIN!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA……and then I'll tell you what happened!!!!! Deal?!    : P**

**Disclaimer: Oh, I was writing a letter to my "MOST DEVOTED READER" and I got really hyper and wrote this, and it was her idea to use it as a disclaimer, so, here it is!!!!**

**She asked me something about why I was leaving everyone in suspense in my stories, and I replied:**

As for my suspense stuff....heh heh heh.......you ain't seen nothin' yet..... I'm gonna be soooooo evil later on in the story.....ya wanna know what's gonna happen.... I'll give you a hint......... _I'm going to kill *Hitomi, Van, Merle, Calypso, Phoebe, and Celina dash in and cover Yugismpuzzle's mouth * .....mhhmhmhhmhhmmh......__in one of the upcoming chapters.... *group sigh*_

Hitomi: that was close

Calypso: Yeah, you almost gave away the ending. Are you nuts?!

Van: Wait a minute...who is the one who's gonna die?

Hitomi, Calypso, Phoebe, Celina: *sigh*

Merle: Don't you remember Lord Van???!!!!

*Merle whispers into Van's ear*

*Van's eyes go wide*

Van: OOOOOOOooooo.....she IS evil.... *to Yugismpuzzle*, tell me, is your life's mission to get everyone to love your stories and then spend their lives hunting you down for killing ...'you know who' ...*winks*

Yugismpuzzle: Um...no, but it's gonna be great, and....I just LOVE being evil!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA...........

Hitomi: Uh oh...who gave her the pixy sticks?

Celina: *eyes grow wide* PIXI STIKS!!!! I LOVE PIXI STIKS!!!!! GIMMI ONE!!!

Merle: no, are you crazy?! We've already got one demented member among us; we don't need two....uh oh....

*Celina has turned into Dilandau*

Dilandau: *pulls out flamethrower* GIVE ME THE PIXI STIKS AND NOBODY GETS HURT!!!!!!!!!!!

Everyone: AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhh *runs away*

Dilandau: hey, come back here!!!!!!! *chases everyone with flame thrower*

Yugismpuzzle: *sigh* Well, that was interesting.....any who, I just want to say that…uh oh…

*everyone runs past the computer, Dilandau is burning everything in sight*

Yugismpuzzle: Okay, I've had enough…time to put the flame thrower away…*snaps fingers*

*Dilandau turns into a kitty Dilandau*

Dilandau: Awww man!!!!! *run's away, tail swinging back and fourth* 

*smoke from fire lifts away. A message is burned into the wall*

**_…SHE DOESN'T OWN ESCAFLOWNE…DON'T BOTHER ASKING…_**

**Chapter fourteen: Betrayed By Those You Love**

The next morning, Celina got ready early so she would have plenty of time to look for Hitomi. She had looked for her the previous evening, but she didn't know where she was. Later that night, she met up with Merle who said that she and Hitomi had been in the village all day and didn't return to the castle till dinner time. Celina had then left to go searching for Hitomi, but still couldn't find her. Therefore, Celina had decided to look for Hitomi in the morning.

Once again, she wasn't having any luck as to finding Hitomi's whereabouts. Now standing in the middle of the castle courtyard, Celina sighed in frustration. No matter how long she searched, she always seemed to just miss Hitomi. 

"You're very funny to watch, did you know?" came a highly amused voice from behind her.

Celina whirled around to see Merle looking up at her, smiling. "How long have you been following me?"

"Just long enough to watch you circle the entire castle grounds." Merle said with a laugh. "Ya lookin' for Hitomi?"

"You know very well I'm looking for her. Why didn't you just come out and tell me where she is? You _do _know where she is, don't you? You wouldn't be smiling like that if you didn't."

Merle's grin, if possible, got even larger. "She's at the lake."

"Thank you."

Celina and Merle began walking towards the lake, which was a little less than a mile away. 

"So, are you going to tell her what Dilandau said?"

"I haven't decided yet. I don't want to say anything about it until I know for sure that Calypso isn't entirely honest. The last thing I need to do is spread a false rumor."

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense." Merle mumbled. "But still, if Dilandau is right, I don't want Hitomi to walk around and be unaware." 

"But if we tell Hitomi, she'll no doubt run off to tell Lord Van."

"Good."

"Not good." Celina said firmly. "If our information is false, Lord Van might end up doing something he'll regret. He might even do something to damage the alliance between Circe and Fanelia. And if _that happens, Fanelia will once again be at war."_

"Oh, I see…" Merle looked a little downtrodden. "Sorry…"

Celina smiled at the cat-girl. "No need to apologize, you're just trying to help." 

"So, how are we going to find out if our hunch is real?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll just have to keep our eyes and ears open."

"Oh." Merle sighed, a little disappointed. "I see…"

Celina looked down at the cat-girl. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried about Lord Van. I didn't see him at all yesterday and I still couldn't find him today and…well, I'm worried that Calypso did something to him with her magic. I mean, it's not like him to miss breakfast _twice_ in a row. He's just been acting strange ever since…well you know."

"Yeah, I know. But keep in mind, you're assuming that Dilandau was telling the truth that night…"

"I know it's the truth! That woman is _not normal!" _

"Hmm…" Celina nodded. 

Merle had a point. Celina doubted that Dilandau had been lying, but she didn't know for sure. She had thought that she would have been able to sense if he would lie, but she didn't even know that he had unsheathed her sword. The bottom line was they were not certain of anything. All they had was a hunch…but if the hunch was wrong, the consequences had the potential to destroy the entire land. This was dangerous information they were tainting with. 

The two girls, consumed in their own thoughts, didn't speak until they reached the lake. 

"There she is!" Merle pointed to the east corner of the lake where Hitomi was walking. She strolled along the lake shore, occasionally picking up stones and tossing them into the water. 

"Hitomi!" Merle yelled.

Hitomi turned and saw Celina and Merle coming over the hill, walking towards her. "Hey Merle!" Hitomi waved back. Celina and Merle jogged up to Hitomi. Their feet clunked as they stepped on the rocks.

"You know, Hitomi, you're a very hard person to find." Celina laughed.

Hitomi smiled. "Sorry, I just needed some time to think by myself."

"Did we interrupt you?" Merle asked innocently.

"No," Hitomi said with a wave of her hand. "That's alright."

Hitomi resumed walking along the shore as Celina and Merle joined her.

"So, what's bugging you?" Celina asked while winking at Merle.

Hitomi shook her head. "It's probably nothing."

"Come on, what is it?"

Hitomi shrugged her shoulders, not wanted to make a big deal out of it. "Van just said something weird last night."

"Oh, you found Lord Van? What'd he say?" Merle asked excitedly.

Hitomi bit her lip. "Well, basically, he told me to leave him alone."

Celina and Merle exchanged a look before Merle spoke again. "That's it? That's what's worrying you?"

Hitomi stared at the ground. "Well…no. It wasn't _what he said, it was…__how he said it." She shook her head. "I don't know what I'm talking about. It's not a big deal. He was probably just a little irritated and I caught him at the wrong moment." She said, more to herself than to the two girls next to her._

Hitomi's eyes gazed all over the ground until they focused on a particular rock. She bent down and picked it up. She ran her fingers over the smooth flat surface and smiled. "Have you guys ever skipped rocks before?"

Merle shook her head but Celina nodded and smiled. "I used to do it all the time when I was little. My brother and I would go down to the river and see who could skip the most…"

Merle laughed. "Which one of you skipped the mos-" Merle's smile faded when she looked at Celina's face. Luckily, Hitomi's back was turned, otherwise, she would have seen the frightened look on Celina's face and the way her eyes flashed from dark blue to crimson spontaneously. Celina's fists were clenched and her face was mingled with the expression of amusement, fear, and effort. 

Merle whispered, "Celina, what's happening?"

Instantly, Celina's head jerked around towards the hill they had come from, but her face returned to normal, her eyes still as blue as the lake before them. "She's coming." 

Hitomi turned around. "Who's coming?" Hitomi fallowed Celina's gaze towards the south hill. A moment later, two figures immerged, and sure enough, one of them was…

"Calypso." Merle grumbled. 

Hitomi squinted her eyes. "You're right, it is her. Celina, how did you know she was coming?"

"Just a guess, I guess." Celina offered.

Hitomi shrugged and turned back to the two figures. Merle used this opportunity to cast Celina a questioning stare. Celina answered with a single whispered word.

"Dilandau."

Merle gasped. _'Dilandau _wasn't_ lying. He _can _sense Calypso's aura.'_

"Van is with her…" Hitomi muttered quietly, but Merle and Celina heard. They also heard a tint of sorrow in her voice, but they didn't point it out. Sure enough, when they looked back up at the figures, the second one was clearly identified as Van. The two of them had their arms locked with each other and Van was escorting Calypso.

Slowly, the three women walked towards the approaching couple. Celina noticed that Hitomi became tense and hesitant once she realized that Van was coming down the hill. Obviously she didn't suspect Calypso of any foul play yet she was worried about seeing Van. Her behavior was abnormal.

_'Something else happened last night between her and Van that she's not telling us…'_  

Once the two groups came within speaking distance of each other, the three women curtsied, however Hitomi did awkwardly. When they rose back up, Calypso flashed a dazzling smile at the three of them yet Van's face remained emotionless. Calypso's gaze lingered on Hitomi for a moment before she tightened her grip on Van's arm and leaned her body into him slightly. As Hitomi saw this, she held her breath a little longer than necessary and she felt like she had swallowed a boulder. 

"I…um…" Hitomi stuttered, a little unsure of what to say. "Um…Lord Van, may I speak to you for a moment?"

Merle looked at Hitomi. _'Since when did Hitomi call him Lord Van?'_

"Yes, you may." He said simply.

He didn't move. Hitomi grew even more nervous. "In private, please." She asked, a little more stern this time, trying to boost her confidence. 

Van turned his head to look in Calypso's eyes. They lingered for a moment before Calypso nodded and released his arm. Van walked through and past Celina and Merle as Hitomi followed him from behind. 

Calypso's smile still remained on her lips. _'This should be interesting…' _

Celina and Merle kept their backs to Calypso and instead watched Hitomi and Van walk a fair distance away and then stop, face each other, and start talking. 

Van crossed his arms. "What's this about?"

"I wanted to talk to you about last night."

"Alright."

Hitomi swallowed. He wasn't making this easy on her, so instead of easing into the subject, Hitomi came right out and said it. "Van, you're acting strange. What is wrong with you?"

Van scowled. "What did I tell you about addressing me informally?"

"See? That's what I mean. This isn't you! You've never cared about what I called you!"

"Things change!" Van snapped.

"Not like this!" Already, the conversation was turning into a shouting match. "Ever since you married Calypso, you've been different."

Poor Van, trapped within his own mind, could do nothing to help the situation. All he could do was watch as Calypso forced him to break Hitomi's heart as she pleaded with him. Soon, this treatment was going to drive Van insane.

_'Stop ruining my life! Leave Hitomi alone! Calypso, do you hear me? Leave Hitomi alone!' _Van yelled mentally.  

Suddenly, everything around Van went black and he realized he was standing alone in a black room. 

_'Am I free?'_

"Of course not." 

Van whirled around and saw Calypso standing several feet away from him. Impulsively, Van ran towards Calypso, in hopes of strangling the woman. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him, but he never got closer to her, yet she remained standing there, smiling. Eventually, Van got the hint that he wouldn't be able to reach her and he stopped running. Instead, he pulled a dagger out of his boot and threw it at Calypso's head, but the moment it left his hand, it vanished. 

Calypso let out a laugh as Van scowled. 

_'Where are we?!'_ Van demanded.

"We're still at the lake, remember?" she said with a grin. Van began to get the feeling that her grin would haunt him forever. "Look." She raised her arm and pointed behind Van. He turned around and he saw himself arguing and yelling at Hitomi. "We're inside your mind. I just thought you'd enjoy the show better if you could walk around…well, so to speak…have fun."

_'Calypso!'_ But when Van turned back around, she was gone. Now, he could only watch helplessly as the possessed Van continued to shout at Hitomi. _'No…Hitomi…'_

"How can you not see it? The Van I knew before this marriage is night and day compared to you."

Van uncrossed his arms and pointed in Hitomi's face. "You dare to judge me? I am king of this country and…"

Hitomi interrupted. "Do you hear what you're saying?! I'm trying to tell you-"

SLAP

_'No!'_

Van's hand flew before Hitomi could finish her sentence. The force of the blow spun Hitomi around and knocked her to the ground. She put her hand on her cheek where it stung and looked up at Van with astonishment. He pointed his finger at her and glared.

"Don't _ever_ interrupt me again or you will suffer the consequences." 

_'Look what she's making me do…even if I somehow get free of Calypso's spell, Hitomi will never forgive me.'_

In his mind's eye, he replayed the last image he saw of Hitomi. She was looking up at him with hurt, pain, astonishment, and what's worse, _betrayal_. He had betrayed her. He promised to take care of her, to protect her, no matter what. But he couldn't even protect her from himself. 

_'I've already lost her…'_

Van turned his heal and walked back towards Calypso without another glance in Hitomi's direction. Meanwhile, Celina and Merle stared wide eyed at Van as he strolled past them without even looking at them. Merle took a deep breath, as if she was going to tell him off, but Celina grabbed her arm and whispered, "Not now!" 

Van extended his arm to his bride and she accepted it. The two of them walked away, back the way they came. Merle and Celina stared as Calypso turned her head and shot a triumphant smile at them. Celina scowled before dashing away towards Hitomi. Merle stood there for a moment, watching the couple walk away, but keeping her eyes locked with Calypso's.

"I'm on to you." She mumbled before running after Celina.

However, Calypso somehow heard what Merle had said. _'I think it's time to get rid of them…they're becoming intrusive.' She frowned._

The trapped Van suddenly saw Calypso re-materialize in his mind. Van was just about to scream at her but she raised her hand for his silence and a black hand immerged from the ground and gagged Van so he couldn't speak. When he tried to pull it off, another arm appeared and tied his arms and legs together. He lost his balance and fell to the floor. After struggling for a few moments, he stopped and growled at Calypso.

"You're friends are becoming a nuisance, and I think your cat friend is starting to realize who I am, and no doubt she'll warn your precious seeress and Shezare's sister." She paused and allowed her words to sink their affect on Van. Sure enough, his eyes grew wide with dread and he began struggling against his bindings and screaming incoherently behind the gag. "Sorry Van, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to get rid of them. After all, I can't have them messing with my plans." Calypso chuckled. "I'll be sure to tell Hitomi you said hi, okay? Enjoy the show."

And with that, she vanished once again, and the bindings vanished as well. Van jumped back up to his feet and ran to the spot Calypso had been standing.

_'Calypso, come back here! I'll rip your throat out! Calypso! Do you hear me? Stop this right now!'_

Van dropped to his knees and bashed his fist against the cold hard ground again, and again, and again, until he wore himself out and his knuckles started to bleed. His arms shook as he used them to support himself. His breath came in short, wheezing gasps. His eyes were wide, almost as if he were seeing something unreal. Watching his life _literally pass before him, unable to do anything to change it, was driving him mad. _

_'This can't…be happening…Hitomi…'_

                           * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

 "Hitomi!" Merle yelled as she ran up to the fallen girl. Celina knelt down next to Hitomi and tried to snap her out of the trance she was in. Her eyes were wide, swollen red, and brimmed with tears that threatened to fall. Her cheeks were flushed despite her effort to cover her face with her hand. In truth, the stinging of her cheek was not excruciatingly painful, but the person who delivered the blow hurt her deeper than any physical wound could.  She stared ahead, ignoring the comments made by Celina and Merle, as Van and Calypso disappeared over the hill. Over and over again, she played in her head the look on Van's face before he walked away.

_'…it was like he didn't even know me…'_

"Hitomi!" Merle yelled, again. This time she caught Hitomi's attention. The cat girl flopped down next to Hitomi with a sad expression on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked delicately. Hitomi's eyes finally met with Merle's and froze for a moment. Merle watched as Hitomi's eyes began to fill. She began to shake her head slowly and then violently before choking.

"No, I'm not okay!" 

Hitomi buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Merle wrapped her furry arms around her, trying to comfort her. After only a minute, Hitomi managed to gain control of her crying, and stopped. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and finally looked up at Celina, who was kneeling in front of her. 

"Sorry." She mumbled. 

"It's not _you_ who should be sorry, it's Van! He had no reason to do that!" Merle blurted out before Celina could stop her. 

Celina sighed. _'That girl has no self control…but still, she's right. In all these past years, I've never seen Van loose his temper like that. It was too fast to only happen in a matter of seconds, although the two of them were yelling pretty loud…something else must have contributed to the fight…'_

"Hitomi, what happened last night between you and Van?"

Hitomi looked down, took a deep breath, and told them everything. Every little detail. By the time she was finished, both Merle and Celina's faces were in deep frowns.

Merle was the first to comment. "That's strange. That doesn't sound like him, but then again, that show he just put on doesn't sound like him either."

Hitomi nodded in agreement. "He's been acting strange, and that's what I just now told him, before he…lost his temper." 

Celina looked down at the grass and pondered. "It doesn't make sense."

"Of course it doesn't." said Hitomi, as if it were already obvious. 

Celina shook her head. "No, I mean, Merle and I _were expecting something strange to happen, just not with Van."_

Hitomi looked confused. "I don't understand."

Celina looked at Merle, silently asking permission. She nodded and Celina began to explain. "Merle and I were expecting something to happen regarding Calypso." Hitomi frowned, looked at Merle and then Celina again, and shrugged her shoulders before Celina continued. "Hitomi, we suspect that Calypso is not all she seems to be. We think she's hiding something big."

"Extremely big." In piped Merle.

"_Magically_ big, if you get my meaning." 

Hitomi's eyes grew wide as she began to understand a little of what they were hinting towards. "Magically!? But how…why? What does she want?"

Celina shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "We don't know that yet, but whatever it is, it can't be good if she's hiding it." 

Hitomi looked stunned, and for a moment, she even forgot about Van. "How did you find out? Did you see her do something?"

Celina shot Merle a nervous glance. Merle merely shrugged and said, "You might as well tell her."

"Tell me what?"

Celina took a deep breath. "The other night, we spoke with Dilandau…"

"What!? Dilandau?! You set him loose? Celina, that's dangerous!"

Celina raised her arms in the air in defense. "I know, but just hear me out. When I first saw Calypso, that day when we arrived from Asturia, I felt something. Well, actually, Dilandau felt something. Apparently Calypso has a magical aura that surrounds her, very similar to Van's."

"Oh." Suddenly the seriousness of the problem became apparent.

"Yeah, but it gets worse. The other women from Circe that came with Calypso, they all have the same aura around them too. Which means…?" Celina gestured for Hitomi to finish, just making sure she understood what was going on.

Sure enough, "That means that this is no accident. They're here for a reason. But why?"

Good, she was now up to speed, but she had just asked the question that had been nagging at them ever since they found out their information. "We don't know, yet, but we needed to tell you."

Hitomi's eyes shifted downward. "But that doesn't explain…Van."

"True, he may be a separate issue, but still, we have to find a way to warn him. Not today though. I think we should wait till he cools down a bit." 

Hitomi nodded and tried to accept this more optimistic view. Celina stood up and offered Hitomi a hand. She took it and pulled herself up.  

In an effort to lighten the mood, Merle offered a suggestion. "Let's go back to the castle and get some food!"

The three of them smiled and made their way back to the castle. 

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

'Attention everyone,  our plans may have been discovered. Find Allen Shezare's sister, the young cat girl, and the seeress. Get rid of them immediately.'

_'Understood.'_

_'As you wish.'_

_'Yes mam.'_

_'Affirmative.'_

_'Right away Majesty.'_

_…_

                           * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The three women wandered the hallways of the palace, heading for the kitchens since breakfast had long past and lunch wasn't due for another two hours. The three of them walked in a line, passing doors, windows, and draperies, not even paying attention to the spectacular artistry. Hitomi normally would have noticed if she hadn't had other things on her mind. Eventually, they passed a woman servant who was dusting a tapestry. The woman looked up at Hitomi and immediately stopped cleaning. She gave a short curtsey before addressing her.

"Lady Hitomi, the Circe ambassadors have been looking for you."

"Me?" Hitomi responded, wearily. 

"Yes, well, actually, they're looking for all three of you."

Merle and Celina looked at each other, aghast. _'They must be onto us!'_

Hitomi's eyes grew wide for a moment before returning to normal. She bowed her head slightly, as was the custom, to the maid. "Thank you for telling me."

The woman smiled, unaware of the terror she had just inflicted, and continued on with her cleaning.

Hitomi looked back at Merle and Celina, gave them a nod with her head, signaling them to continue walking. They proceeded down the corridor till they reached a corner. The three of them dashed into it and whispered franticly to each other. 

"They must have realized we found out about their secret."

"This is all my fault." Mumbled Merle.

Celina looked down at the cat girl. "Why, what happened?"

"When she was walking away, I mumbled something. I didn't think she heard me, but I guess I was wrong. I gave us away."

Celina sighed. _'She doesn't realize how loud she really talks…'_

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. What we need to do is find Van and speak to him alone. It can't wait till tomorrow."

Hitomi began to protest but Celina raised a hand to silence her. "We'll all talk to him. You won't be alone this time. But we need to make sure that _he's _alone. I don't want Calypso breathing down our necks."

"Agreed."

"Come on then, let's go find Van."

All three of them looked around to make sure no one was looking at them before the continued to casually walk down the stone hallways. Hitomi couldn't help but want to walk as silently as possible, almost fearing one of the Circe ambassadors to pop out from the walls and reprimand her. Celina's books clunked with each step she took, despite her efforts to muffle them. Merle's feet even padded along no matter what she did with them. All of them were self-conscious. 

Soon, the three pairs of footsteps fell into line so when they walked, the noises occurred at the same moment. For a while, they only heard the thump, thump, thump of their foot steps when suddenly a new sound reached their ears.

Thump…Thump…Clunk…Thump…

Some one else…

Thump…Thump…Clunk….Thump….

Someone else was walking…

Merle took a quick glance behind her and saw a woman in a familiar silver gown. The dress was all she needed to see before turning back around and yelling, "They found us! Run!"

Merle dashed forward, brushing her shoulders between Celina and Hitomi. The other two girls didn't even look back. They looked at Merle's retreating form and sprinted to catch up. Their eyes were wide as they ran as fast as their legs would carry them. Soon they caught up to Merle and dashed around a corner. Merle skidded slightly, Hitomi touched her hand to the floor as she turned, and Celina pushed off the opposite wall and continued to run down another dark corridor. 

They ran for their lives although they couldn't hear any footsteps behind them. Their breath came in quick raspy gasps as they fought to continue their impossible pace. 

Merle ran around another corner and Hitomi and Celina followed. Suddenly all three of them skidded to a halt.

There was a wall. 

It was a dead end. They whirled around to go in another direction, only to see the woman in the silver gown blocking their only means of escape.

They were trapped…

AN: Ha, I finished. I'm so glad I got this chapter done. This is where everything gets interesting. And you know what…I want to be more evil than usual. I'm going to give you a hint of an upcoming chapter. All right…here it is…

**Calypso smiled with a demon look glinting in her eye. Van stared at her, blankly,  waiting for his next order. Calypso glanced down at the cowering form of Hitomi before locking eyes with Van.**

**"Kill her…"**

hahahahahahha, aren't I evil…but that's all the taste test you're gonna get for now. If you wanna find out what really happens, stay tunned for future chapters.

**See ya,**

**Oh, and don't forget to review!!!!**


	15. Startling Revelations

**AN****: Ooooo……guess what!? I CUT MY HAIR!!!AGAIN!!!!!!! This out-of-nowhere statement means absolutely nothing to those of you who have never met me personally, but there are several people who rea4d my story whom I got to school with (Shinigami-sama, Moony, Padfoot, etc.) or are family members (DIMB, Tonks, etc.) who may want to know this information. But for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, let's just say my hair is now VERY short…I'm talking about Hitomi short…except I don't have green eyes…actually, I think I kind of look like Tea from Yu-Gi-Oh, but I sure hope I don't act like her…do I *shrug* Oh well, if I do, make sure to let me know and I'll stop, cause that means I talk way too much!!!**

**In case you didn't already notice, I'm basing a lot of my characters on old myths and legends. Well, I'm adding a new character this chapter and I feel like I should offer an explanation of who she is since many people do not know her story. Her name was Cassandra and she was a human who was blessed by the Greek god's to have the gift of prophesy but he curse of no one believing her. Even when she predicted the fall of the Troy and of the Trojan horse, no one believed her. So, there you have it. Now, you won't be confused at who this person is. For more information on her, look up her name on Encarta or some Encyclopedia if you wish, but for now, ON WITH THE STORY!!!**

Disclaimer: Normally I'd write something funny, but, I don't have time, so,  I DON'T OWN ESCAFLOWNE…..poo…

**Chapter Fifteen****: Startling Revelations**

Phoebe almost panicked when she received the message from Calypso that the Sirens were to kill Hitomi. It happened sooner than she had expected. Now, Phoebe was on a race to find the seeress before the others did. Hitomi was vital in Phoebe's plan to defeat the Atlantis Machine. She and Lord Van were the ones who had defeated the Atlantis Machine before, and now, they needed to do it again. Otherwise, her mission was a lost cause. But for now, Phoebe spent all her energy into finding the seeress and her companions before the other Siren's did. 

Phoebe shuddered at the thought of how _she_ had become a Siren. Years ago, while all other countries were fighting Zaibach, Circe remained a neutral party and didn't join the war. Truthfully, Circe was too busy with their own scheme for power. They were hunting for a jewel from Atlantis, and as far as they knew, only two existed. One of them, belonging to the seeress known as Hitomi, was inaccessible due to her deep involvement in Gaea's war. As for the other…

Phoebe raised her hand to her chest and clutched the pendant that was hidden beneath her gown.

…She managed to retrieve it before Circe could get a hold of it. 

'But not without a cost…' 

Indeed, in the fight to find the pendant before Calypso could, Phoebe lost her entire family and her one true friend who, surprisingly, held a great resemblance to Hitomi. Her friend Cassandra was a fortuneteller, much like Hitomi was. Phoebe had quickly made friends with the bizarre girl and they remained together for many years. Then one day, Cassandra received a vision of the future. She saw the destruction that would occur if someone were to, again, try and harness the power of the Atlantis Machine. She also had mentioned the importance of the Jewel of Atlantis in order to make the Machine to run properly, however in her vision, the results lead to disaster. Cassandra immediately told her vision to Phoebe, and in return, being a loyal Siren at the time, told Cassandra to inform Queen Circe. Not wanting to let the story leak that their plans wouldn't work, Queen Circe had Cassandra killed under the pretext that Cassandra was a Zaibach spy. 

…Phoebe was the only person alive who knew what was coming if Circe had it's way. She vowed to spend the rest of her life fighting to prevent the awakening of the Atlantis Machine, and she succeeded. Phoebe discovered the Atlantis Jewel before anyone else, and since then, it has been in her safekeeping. But then it was discovered that when the seeress returned to the Mystic Moon, she left the other Jewel behind in the possession of Lord Van. Since then, Circe's eye has been on Fanelia, and despite Phoebe's efforts, Calypso was now the current possessor of an Atlantian Jewel. She had all the keys she needed. And now, she was getting rid of those who have the power to thwart her plans. Once again, it was up to Phoebe to stop her.

Phoebe needed to find the seeress before the other Siren's did. 

…luckily, fate seemed to be in Phoebe's favor that day…

              * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Hitomi skidded to a stop and stared at the dead end in front of her. _'Crap!'_

She whirled around and saw their pursuer blocking the only way out. While Merle and Celina looked worried, Hitomi's eyes widened in surprise.

"Phoebe!" 

Hitomi began to feel relieved that the woman in front of her was only Phoebe, but then she remembered whom Phoebe worked for, and suddenly, Hitomi wasn't sure if she could trust her anymore. Meanwhile, Merle and Celina cast a quick glance at Hitomi after her surprised outburst, and then returned their worried faces at Phoebe.

Surprisingly, Phoebe merely raised one of her gloved hands and placed her fingers to her lips, silencing the trio.

"You three are in a lot of trouble."

Celina took a step forward and make a blatant gesture as she toughed the hilt of her sword. 

"You're going to be in more trouble if you don't get out of my way!"

Hitomi interjected. "Celina, don't…"

"I'd advise you to get _him_ back under control Celina!" Phoebe spoke in an icy, forceful tone that made both Hitomi and Merle shiver. Celina's eyes glazed over for a moment and she toughed her and to her forehead.

"Are you well again?" Phoebe asked in the same tone as before.

Celina wasn't going to answer her, but words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stifle them.

"Yes, I'm fine."

"Good. Now, come with me."

Phoebe turned and began walking away, but the trio didn't move. After a few paces, when it was obvious that the girls were not going to follow, Phoebe stopped and turned her head back in their direction.

"If you don't come now, the other Sirens will find you, and you _don't _want that to happen."

"Isn't that what want that to happen."

"Isn't that what _you_ are?" Celina growled. "I don't trust her."

Phoebe, once again, put on a threatening tone. "Is that _you_ or Dilandau talking?" 

Celina's eyes flashed, and for a moment, it looked as though she meant to leap forward and kill Phoebe, but she recollected herself again and strained to remove her hand from her swords hilt. 

"Honestly, I don't know." Celina replied finally in monotone. 

Merle piped in. "But she works for Calypso. _That's _reason not to trust her, right?" 

Hitomi paused for a moment and stared into Phoebe's eyes, full of determination and power. Hitomi looked past this and used her dowsing ability to try and search within Phoebe, using her past encounters with the woman from Circe in order to guide her. When she found what she was looking for, Hitomi came out of her short dream-like state and replied to Merle's unanswered question. 

"That is a reason Merle, but I'm not sensing any deceit from her, are you?"

Merle crossed her arms. "How should I know? _I'm _not the one with the special powers."

"It doesn't take special powers…"

"Can your little huddle wait ten minutes? We need to get out of this castle." Phoebe interrupted.

"Why?"

Phoebe paused for a moment, thinking of the best way to phrase her response. "Ears are everywhere."

"No kidding. I've got two of them, right here." Merle pointed at the two fur covered ears that were pricked up in alert.

"Merle, we should at least hear what she has to say."

"Fine, but why do we have to go outside? Why can't we just talk here?"

"Because she's afraid that someone will hear us."

"How do you know?"

Celina sighed in slight irritation. "Because she said so."

Merle couldn't think of anything to say. Instead, she bowed her had and growled as she tapped her foot repeatedly. Hitomi looked from Merle to Celina. Since she wasn't receiving any further objections, Hitomi nodded and looked back to where Phoebe patiently stood.

"Alright, we'll come."

Phoebe's features released some of its tension, but she still held a domineering aura. "Good. This way, hurry."

Phoebe turned and guided them back in the direction they had come. Before getting far, Phoebe warned them not to talk, not even a whisper, and the trio reluctantly complied. At first, it seemed as though Phoebe were leading them to the back of the castle in the direction of the forests and gardens, but then she would take a wrong turn and they'd be heading in the opposite direction. Occasionally, they found themselves walking down the same corridor, passing the same tapestry or window. Merle, Celina, and Hitomi all exchanged puzzled looks, but they remained reticent. Twice, Phoebe would walk to a door, stop right in front of it with her hand on the doorknob, wait for several minutes, then open it and walk through as if nothing had happened. The three girls that trailed behind never said a word, but stored in their minds several questions that they were going to ask later.

After several detours and traveling around in circles, the four women finally reached the main entrance to the gardens, just as Hitomi had thought, though she couldn't imagine why it had taken them nearly twenty minutes to get there when they could have done it in five. Just before they were about to leave the archway, Phoebe stopped once again, this time, with her arms outstretched. She whispered softly that Hitomi almost didn't hear her.

"When I say so, run as fast as you can to the trees. Don't stop till you're safely hidden."

They waited for only a minute, though it seemed like an eternity. Merle and Celina wanted answers. They didn't like being dragged around like this. Hitomi, on the other hand, still remained patient, knowing there had to be a logical answer as to why Phoebe was acting so strange. 

Before they had time to broad on the subject, Phoebe lowered her arms and said, in a horse whisper, "Now!"

Phoebe leapt forward, easily pulling away from the other three. When Celina and Merle saw how fast Phoebe moved, they pushed themselves to go faster, sensing the urgency that they get hidden as quickly as possible. Hitomi could have pulled ahead of Phoebe with almost no effort at all, but she wasn't going to leave her companions behind. Instead, she urged them on by moving ahead of them by a few feet, giving them a target as they struggled to run faster. They jumped over low bushes and plants, ducked under trees, dashed around taller shrubs, never slowing down and trying to keep Phoebe in their sight, which was difficult because of her insane pace. But finally, when exhaustion almost began to take its toll, the line of forest trees came into sight. They were almost there. The four of them put on another burst of speed, using all the energy that remained to them, and shot themselves into the shadows of the forest. They caught up with Phoebe, who had stopped running and was waiting for the three others, and bent over to catch their breath. Phoebe also was breathing quicker than normal, but she remained upright.

"I know you're tired, but we need to walk a little further into the forest before we can talk."

Without another word, they followed her into the darker shades of the forest, still determined to receive answers. 

              * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

After their encounter with Hitomi, Calypso and Van continued the rest of the day walking around the land of Fanelia, their arms always intertwined with one another. They did not have any particular place to be, so, they spent the day together, enjoying each other's company…

…or so it would have seemed to an outsider's eye.

Calypso was glowing. She had successfully driven Hitomi away from Van. There was no way she would dare face Van again or do anything to get in his way. Calypso's chest swelled with happiness and pride, knowing that she had ridden herself of one of her most burdensome obstacles. By the end of the day, Hitomi, Celina, and Merle would all be dead and out of her way. The Sirens would deal with them. She spent the rest of the day soaking herself in her pride, always aware that the most difficult task in her plan was conquered. What's more was she wasn't afraid of showing her happiness. She exercised every effort to remind Van of what she had accomplished, with his help. She showed Van the entire incident over and over again in his mind, completely helpless to make the images stop. She also delighted in the fact that every time he was forced to watch it again, his contempt towards her grew. She could feel his anger burn like an inferno. She knew he wanted to kill her, but knowing that he had no power or control of his own body, only infuriated him more. And Calypso couldn't have been happier.

As Van's anger grew, it became increasingly difficult for Calypso to restrain him and keep control over his actions. He had no idea how much of a strain it was for Calypso to keep him in line, otherwise, he would have fought even harder. Calypso was gifted in hiding her true emotions. But regardless of how herd he fought, she would not relinquish her power. In fact, she loved the challenge. For too long she had been controlling men who gave no inkling of a struggle. She found most men to be quite boring. But Van was…different. He had a spark. He had ceaseless, enduring energy. There was a passion and a fire within him that Calypso couldn't help but become attracted too.

Perhaps when Circe's plans were over, she'd keep him alive after all…

…Waste not…want not…

              * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * 

"Calypso is not who she appears to be."

"Yeah, tell us something we don't already know."

Hitomi, Celina, and Merle followed Phoebe for several minutes in the darkened forest when the trees suddenly ended and revealed a small clearing. After announcing that they had reached their destination, the three younger women sat down in the long grass and rested themselves. Phoebe, however, remained standing, insisting that she had important information that needed to be addressed. The three women agreed to listen, although Merle did so grudgingly, and wasn't afraid to make obvious her distrust for the dark haired woman. 

"She had a special power that she's hidden from you."

"Again, we already know that." 

Phoebe's eyes narrowed. "How could you know? Who told you?"

Celina spoke up for the first time since being in the castle. "Dilandau told us."

"You're foolish for letting him free, even for a moment."

In a flash, Celina was on her feet. "And I'm starting to think we're the foolish ones for following you here."

Merle also stood up. "Yeah, and I still don't trust you."

"Quite frankly it doesn't matter if either of you trust me." Phoebe shifted her glance to Hitomi. "It only matters that _you_ trust me." She knelt down in front of the seeress and held out her hand. Hitomi looked at it, confusion and apprehension written all over her face. "Let me show you something."

Hitomi swallowed. She raised her own hand till it was only an inch away from Phoebe's. Hitomi hesitated then firmly locked her hand onto Phoebe's. 

Images flashed before Hitomi's eyes. Sights, smells, sounds, all downloaded into her mind. Years of experiences were absorbed in seconds. It was as if Hitomi were re-living someone else's life. _Phoebe's_ life, at least certain parts of it. Many of the images showed two specific girls. On of them was a younger version of Phoebe. The other was a girl of about the same age with gray-blue eyes and long sandy brown hair. She looked so familiar but Hitomi couldn't quite place the girl. Her name was…

_"Cassandra!"_

_The brown haired girl sat upon a stone bench that surrounded a fountain. She looked up at the other woman who had called her name. The black haired woman ran up to her friend and sat beside her._

_"Hey Phoebe."_

_"Where've you been? I was looking all over for you." _

_"I'm sorry, I just needed some time to think."_

_"Oh. Well, it must be serious if _you _had to find time to think, miss know it all." Phoebe playfully nudged Cassandra's shoulder with her own, bringing a smile to her friend's face. "You want to tell me about it?"_

_Cassandra nodded. "My dream hasn't gone away. I've had it every night since that day when I first told you about it. It's always the same."_

_Phoebe's playful demeanor lost its flare. "That means it wasn't a dream. You're having a vision of the future." _

_Again, Cassandra nodded. "I don't know what to do. I mean, this is what we live for! This life, it's all we have. If this vision comes to pass, then we're no better than the Zaibach scum who are building the Fate Alteration Engine."_

_Phoebe put a comforting hand on Cassandra's shoulder. "We won't let that happen. We'll tell Queen Siren about your vision. Then maybe she'll alter her plans so the vision won't happen."_

_"No, I don't want you to go. Its bad enough I've kept my seeing abilities hidden from the Queen. I don't want you to get in trouble." Cassandra drew herself up. "Besides, this is something I need to do, for myself, by myself. You understand?"_

_Phoebe smiled and gave her friend a warm hug. "Of course I understand. You do whatever you feel is right within your heart."_

Hitomi's surroundings faded and the two friends disappeared. Then a new scene materialized. Phoebe was alone in her bedroom, pacing back and forth at the foot of her bed. She was waiting for someone and worry was written all over her. 

_'Phoebe!'_

_Phoebe stopped pacing and looked wildly around to see where the voice had come from._

_"Cassandra?"_

_'Phoebe, can you hear me?'_

_The voice didn't seem to come from a specific place and it was muffled as it echoed around the room. Phoebe repeatedly whirled around as the echo confused her into thinking the voice was moving to a different location, completely unaware that the voice was only inside her head._

_"Yes, I can hear you, but how are you…"_

_'I can't explain now, just listen!' _

_There was panic plainly shown in her friends voice, so, Phoebe remained silent._

_'The Queen has betrayed us! She is going to continue in her plans! She doesn't care about the consequences!'_

_"What!? Is she crazy!?" But Phoebe's question was unanswered. _

_'It's up to you now. I need you to make sure my vision does NOT come to pass. Listen, the Queen is looking for a Jewel of Atlantis. You must find it before she does. Protect it! Don't let her have it! Otherwise all is lost…'_

_ Phoebe frowned. "Cassandra, what's going on? Why are you talking like this?"_

_'…I don't have much time left…Please…don't let it happen…you are Gaea's only hope…'_

_Phoebe began to panic when she realized what was really going on. She realized why her best friend sounded so frightened and why her message was being passed on so quickly._

_"Why are you even talking to me right now? Run you fool! Run!!!"_

_'I cant…I…she's got me…don't let her…pr…ect the jewel…don't forget…Fan…lia has the other ma…'_

_The echoing suddenly went silent._

_"Cassandra!"_

_No response._

_"Cassandra…"_

The image faded once again. Hitomi returned back to the real world and she found herself looking into the present day Phoebe's eyes. The sun that had been shining brightly before was now almost completely set. Hitomi felt a cold breeze against her face and realized that she had been crying. Phoebe withdrew her hand and stood up, never leaving Hitomi's gaze.

Celina and Merle were standing in the center of the clearing and were having a heated conversation. When Celina glanced past Merle and saw that Phoebe had finally stood up, she silenced the cat girl and pointed past her. Immediately, they both ran over to where Hitomi was sitting. They reached her just in time to hear her ask Phoebe a question.

"The Queen killed her?" 

"No, Calypso did."

Hitomi gasped. "Calypso! That same woman who married Van?" 

"Yes."

Merle became upset. "Wait a minute. What's going on? Who did Calypso kill?"

Phoebe made no notion to answer the question. Instead, Hitomi filled Merle and Celina in. "Her friend Cassandra, many years ago. Cassandra knew that the Fate Alteration Engine would destroy Gaea if it were activated again. She tried to warn the Queen of Circe but the Queen turned on her and had her killed." Merle nodded in acknowledgement, but she was still confused. Hitomi also had many more questions to ask. "Phoebe, why did you show me that? The Fate Alteration Engine was destroyed. It's not coming back again…" Hitomi's eyes widened. "…is it?"

Phoebe nodded. "Another machine was built, right here in Fanelia. The _Second _Atlantis Machine." 

Everyone's eyes widened in shock. 

AN: Hi, I was going to make this chapter a lot longer, but this is the last day of school before spring break, and since I don't have internet access at home, I'm posting what I've got so far. I think you all deserved it. I take way too long to write these chapters, and for that, I am truly sorry. Please be patient with me. Next chapter, I think everything will be revealed…the plot I mean. And, if I feel like it, another encounter between Van and Hitomi…heh heh…it's gonna be good!!!

      **Thank you to everyone who reviewed and is about to review. They really help my moral! **

**Oh, over break, I'm going to be writing a one shot and then I'll probably post it the Tuesday I get back from break. It's a true story that happened to me the other day, but I'm going to write it as if it happened to Hitomi. I hope you'll all like it. It's gonna be called "Hummingbird" or something like that. **

**Here are a few shout outs:**

**Shinigami-sama: There, are you happy? I posted something. Oh, by the way, that Inu Yasha chibi doll is SOOOOO CUTE!!! And the comic too! I can't get it out of my head! Well, that's all for now. See ya at school!**

**Dilandau is my Boyfriend: Have you checked your mail lately?… Love ya and I miss you a lot. I hope you are doing okay. PLEASE REVIEW!!! And update your Yu-Gi-oh story!!! Please!!! **

**Tonks: Hey, this is for you too. Update your stories! Both you and Harry take longer to update than I do, and that's pretty bad. LOL. Feel free to write any time. I'd love to hear from you…please don't make me beg. Love ya Sis!**

**Moony: Well, what do you think? Please tell me what you think!!! You know where I live, so, it's not like I'm going anywhere…lol. Love ya sis!!! **


	16. Hiding In Trees and Alleys

**AN: gasp Can it be? Is this a chapter?...OH MY GOODNESS, I DO BELIEVE IT IS!!!! I'm sorry it took so long. I'm just happy that school is out, so now I've got time to catch up on all the books I want to read and start writing my stories again. sighs happily Did you know that I've been looking forward to writing this chapter since the day I came up with this plot? And that was a year ago! And I finally got to do it!!! I just hope it's as good as I meant for it to be.**

**I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed!! Especially those who told me about the number of spelling/grammar errors I've made. Honestly, I want you guys to tell me these things so I don't look like a fool. I think when this story is finished, I'm going to go through the entire thing, re-write it to delete all my spelling mistakes, and re-post the story. Of course that'll mean all my reviews will be deleted…sob**

**A few comments on this chapter: I received a review about my chapter titles, and how one of which could be improved. Well, I think this makes two. I couldn't think of anything clever, so, if you have any ideas for the re-naming of this chapter, feel free to let me know.**

**Reviews-**

**The Fire Beacon: Thank you! Love you always and think about you often!!!**

**Hawaiikel: Hi. Thanks for reading and also, thanks for the tip about the chapter title. When I re-post my chapters, can I use your idea "A Siren's Song"? I like that! Sorry, but I don't seem to have much creativity lately. And as for the mythical creatures part…well, just read and you'll see. Not many people realized that…hint hint Oh, about the necklace: no, there wasn't a stone to represent Van because the green stone (Hitomi) had Van's feather (Van) imbedded in it. Sorry for the confusion. Well, finals are done, and guess what? I PASSED. I got A's in all my classes except one, where I got a B. sob I almost got strait A's!!!!!!!! ….no…I'm not a strait A student, but it would have been cool to be one…for once…sigh well, thanks for reading. Enjoy!!!**

**Meyojojo: Guess what, the three weeks are over, but it kind of turned into four since I needed the extra time to actually write the chapter. I hope the wait was worth it! Thank you for reading!!!**

**The lady winged Knight: Yup, I'm still alive and kicking…er…typing…Thanks for sticking with me. How have you been?**

**Neithan02: sob I'm sorry you didn't like it. Hopefully, this chapter will be better. Any suggestions you have to give are appreciated. Thanks for your review!!!**

**C'fay: Yay! Another reader!!! Thanks for all your reviews! They really made me happy…wait, it made you cry? I'm sorry…but at the same time, I'm flattered…does that make me a bad person?...Thanks for reading!!! Hope you like this next chapter.**

**Fatt: Nope, she's not dead, and yes, I'm going to finish the story. Thanks for your review!!!**

**Inda: Hee hee, I enjoyed your review. And from what I can assume, you're REALLY going to like this next chapter!!! Thanks for reading!!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne; although I hope to buy it soon…anybody got 40 dollars?**

**Chapter Sixteen: Hiding in Trees and Alleys **

Calypso and Van stood on the balcony of their bedroom quarters, staring off into the horizon as the sun set. She rested her head on the taller man's shoulders and whispered, "Once the sun sets, they'll all be dead."

_'Don't count on it!'_

"Oh, come now, Van. You don't actually think they can escape me, do you?"

_'Yes, they have to.'_

Calypso laughed. "Van, don't you get it? They think _you're _the bad guy, not me. Why would they even try to run away? It's hopeless. They're dead, and if they aren't already dead, they will be before that sun sets over there."

Both of them watched the last sliver of light fade away beneath the distant hills and the light of the Mystic Moon became more prominent. Seconds passed and then the knocking of a door came.

"Come in." Calypso said in a charming voice.

Van lead Calypso back inside as another woman entered their bedroom. She bowed.

"What do you have to report, Jane?"

"My lady, I regret to inform you that the seeress and her companions have disappeared."

"What?!" Van felt the temperature in the room drop. Jane winced at Calypso's rage. "How did they escape?"

"We don't know. We're still searching the castle."

"Extend the search to the villages. They have to sleep sometime. Kill them while they're sleeping if needed be. Dismissed."

Jane bowed again and exited the room. Calypso paced the room in a fury and rounded on Van when she sensed his amusement.

_'I knew they'd get away. They must be onto you.'_

Calypso walked towards Van, who was seated on the bed. She grabbed his collar and pulled his face close her hers.

"Yes Van. It seems your clever little seeress is indeed onto me. But she's only delaying the inevitable. I _will_ find her. Even if I have to burn all of Fanelia to the ground to do it, I will find her. And _you're_ going to help me do it!"

"Wait a minute." Merle stammered. "You mean there's another Atlantis machine right here in Fanelia?"

"Yes. It was built here secretly by Zaibach after all of Fanelia was destroyed."

"Yeah, I remember that. Everyone ran to the mountains when Zaibach was attacking. No one knew where Lord Van was, so, Fanelia was abandoned. Soon after, the dragons started to take over. None of us returned to Fanelia after that until the war was over."

"Merle is right. There were many reasons why Zaibach attacked Fanelia. The least known reason was that Dornkirk wanted a safe place to hide the Second Atlantis Machine he built."

"But why would he build two if the one he already had worked fine?" Hitomi asked.

"During Emperor Dornkirk's fist successful test run, he saw that his Fate Alteration Engine would be destroyed in the distant future and that he would be responsible for the death of thousands of people. He didn't know how or why that future would come to pass, but he ignored the warning, just as Queen Circe ignored Cassandra's warning. Dornkirk continued working on his Fate Alteration Engine, confident that the premonition he received could be avoided. However, as an extra precaution, he built a Second Atlantis Machine and hid it in a desolate area."

"Where?"

"Dragon's Canyon."

"The dragon graveyard?" Merle said with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"Wait, where's Dragons Canyon?" Hitomi asked.

"It's beyond the Northern Mountains. It's where Fanelia used to mine most of its energists. But of course, we stopped mining them after the Gaean War. Dragon's Canyon has been deserted ever since."

"That would make the Canyon a perfect place for Dornkirk to hide his machine. He purposely put it there so he could come back and try his experiment again if his Fate Alteration Engine was indeed destroyed."

"Which of course, it was."

"But we have nothing to fear anymore, right? Dornkirk died."

"Yes, Merle, he did die, but his heir has decided to take up their father's legacy."

"Dornkirk's heir?"

"He had a child?"

"Who?"

"Calypso Siren."

Celina pounded her fist into the ground. "That impossible!? Dornkirk spent every waking moment with his experiments. He never had time for a woman!" 

Merle glanced worryingly at Celina. _'She's starting to lose control again. What is it about Phoebe that angers Dilandau so much?'_

Phoebe sighed. She knew she was going to have to answer their questions, but she didn't think the questions would get this deep. Nevertheless, they needed to know.

"To understand how and why Calypso was born, you first have to understand a bit about Circe's culture. As you might already know, Circe is entirely ruled by women. There are next to no men in the entire country." Phoebe paused to allow the women to recognize the significance of her last statement. "They way the process works is when a Circean woman is ready to conceive, she leaves the country to find a suitable man. Once she chooses one, she seduces him, insures that she has been impregnated, and returns to Circe to give birth. Usually, the woman is gone no longer than a few days to a week, at the most."

"They prostitute themselves?!" exclaimed Hitomi.

"No. They're Sirens."

"What's a Siren?"

"A Siren is a woman who has the ability to control men's actions and thoughts."

"How?"

"I'll demonstrate." Phoebe turned to look at Celina. "For this, I need to speak with Dilandau."

"Are you crazy? He wants to kill you, incase you haven't noticed!"

"I know. Can I speak with him please?"

Celina bored her eyes into Phoebe's. She still wasn't sure if she could trust Phoebe, but she didn't want her dead. However, Dilandau did. Celina had felt it when she first met Phoebe in the castle. Celina was positive that the moment she released Dilandau, he would slice Phoebe in half.

"It's your funeral." Celina sighed. She inhaled, closed her eyes, and allowed her darker side to take control.

"Wait!" Merle yelled. "Her sword! Get rid of it!"

But it was too late. Merle and Hitomi could only watch in astonishment as Dilandau appeared in between them. Using his lightning fast reflexes, Dilandau unsheathed his sword at his hip and charged towards Phoebe.

"YOUR MINE!"

Dilandau raised his sword and brought it down upon Phoebe in a wide arch. Phoebe remained motionless, even when the speeding blade flew towards her neck. But the sword did not pierce her.

Dilandau froze. He didn't seem to even breathe. His head was bowed low enough to allow his bangs to shield his eyes.

Suddenly, Merle and Hitomi became aware of a soft tune in the wind.

"What's that sound?" Hitomi asked.

Merle's ears twitched and her face frowned in concentration. It was coming from Phoebe.

She was humming softly. A bizarre melody that sent chills down the cat-girl's spine. The notes themselves seemed to have power. Fearing that the song may be affecting her, Hitomi flexed her hand several times, testing Phoebe's power.

After being frozen for a few seconds, Dilandau removed the sword that was not even an inch away from killing Phoebe and sheathed it. He bent down on one knee, bowed his head, and, to the astonishment of Merle and Hitomi, muttered an apology.

Phoebe seemed to pay no heed to Dilandau's reverent comment. Instead, she stepped around and turned her back to him, leaving him kneeling to no one. Phoebe continued her explanation as if nothing had happened.

"A Siren's power is to control men with a song. Every woman raised in Circe has this ability. With it, they can do virtually anything. A Siren can force a man to give her a child and then forget he had even met her. She can force an invading army to kill each other. She can visit other countries and force them to do anything, whether it is an unconditional surrender, territorial boundary adjustments," Phoebe locked eyes with Hitomi, "even arranged marriages."

Hitomi's stomach clenched. "You mean…Van?"

"Yes."

Hitomi leapt up. "We have to warn him! We have to get him to realize…"

"NO!" Phoebe grabbed Hitomi's arm before she could dash away. "Listen, Van already knows about Calypso. He's fighting her, but her spell is stronger than he is. Van can see everything that goes on around him, but he is powerless to do anything. Calypso controls every move he makes and every word he speaks."

Hitomi instinctively put her hand to her cheek. "That's why he…"

"It wasn't him. It was Calypso."

Merle sniffed. "Poor lord Van."

"But Phoebe, couldn't you undo Calypso's spell and set Van free?" Hitomi begged.

"I'm afraid not. Calypso's magic is stronger than mine." Phoebe turned around again. "Speaking of which…" She waved her hand and Celina collapsed onto the ground with a soft thud. She looked at the sword in her hands and quickly sheathed it, sighing in relief that it was not stained in blood. She stood and turned to Phoebe.

"He's mad at you."

Phoebe smiled, but only briefly. "At least he's smart enough to admit defeat." Phoebe shifted positions slightly as she addressed her audience. "There are only three ways to defeat the Siren's spell. One, kill the Siren. Two, overcome her spell, which I might add, is impossible in Calypso's case. Three, the Siren must willingly release control of her target."

"So, which one of those are we going to use?" Hitomi asked.

"Choice number three. Now listen, Van has an incredibly strong will, the strongest any Siren has ever had to tame. It takes an abnormally powerful Siren to successfully control a man like him. Calypso is up to the challenge, and while she is succeeding, she's also struggling. She's been putting more and more effort into controlling Van, to the point where, I think, if we can distract her long enough, she'll lose control over him, temporarily."

"Temporarily? But, what good will it do?" Celina asked.

"We need to warn him about the Second Atlantis Machine. I doubt Calypso has told Van about her plans, and we need him to keep fighting her. We need Van to drain Calypso of her strength. It might give us enough time to find and destroy the Atlantis Machine before she even gets to Dragon's Canyon."

Hitomi nodded. "That sounds good, but how are we going to warn Van?"

Phoebe closed her eyes. "I haven't figured that part out yet. For now, I just needed to get you three out of the castle. Calypso sent an order to all the Sirens to find and kill you. All three of you. That encounter you had with Van earlier has made Calypso more determined to have you eliminated, rather than ignored. I need to get you three to a safe location where you can rest."

"We can go to my brother's temporary house." Celina said.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, that won't work. Allen may also already be under the influence of the Sirens."

"But what about Saria?! We have to warn her too…"

"Saria is not in danger, Celina, _you_ are." 

"I know a place." Merle said timidly. "Nobody knows about it except me and Van, and it's not far from here."

"That will work. I want the three of you to go with Merle. Stay there until I come for you, understand? I have to get back to the castle."

Phoebe bowed slightly to show that she was finished and began walking back into the trees.

"Wait a minute! I still have more questions for you!" Celina demanded.

Phoebe merely waved a hand in Hitomi's direction. "Ask Hitomi your questions. She now has the answers. I need to get back."

Then she vanished.

The sun had completely set now, but the light from the Mystic Moon bathed the clearing. For a while, no one said anything. Celina was still ready for more information, but Hitomi and Merle were examining what information they had. Merle just couldn't believe what was happening to Van. If what Phoebe said was true, and Van couldn't control his actions, but he could still see what was happening, then that means…

Merle cast her glance in Hitomi's direction…

…Van had to watch as Calypso made him hurt her. _'Poor Lord Van…he must feel awful…'_

Celina broke the silence. "Hitomi, what did Phoebe mean when she said to ask _you_ the questions?"

Hitomi looked over at Celina. "While I was having a vision, Phoebe was showing me parts of her past. Almost as if she transferred all the information we needed into my mind so that I could answer your questions."

"But why not just tell us outright? You two were sitting there for a long time. She could have just told us."

Hitomi shook her head. "No, there wasn't time. She needed to get back before Calypso suspected that Phoebe is the traitor."

"A traitor?"

"Yeah, Calypso has suspected for a long time that there's a traitor among the Sirens, but she's not sure who it is yet." Hitomi closed her eyes and put her hand to her forehead. She was finding it difficult to distinguish her memories from Phoebe's. When Hitomi answered Celina's questions, she didn't feel like _she _was answering them. She felt like _Phoebe_ was answering. "…this is too weird…I don't know how I know this but, Calypso searched for many months trying to find the Atlantian Jewel…"

"The what?"

"Um…it's a…wait a minute, it's my pendant!" Hitomi exclaimed as she examined another patch of memories. "Calypso was looking for a pendant, just like mine! But it was taking them a long time because Phoebe was always mixing up the information. In the end, Calypso gave up after she found out that I gave _my_ pendant to Van…That's why she arranged the marriage, to get my pendant!"

"But what's so special about the pendant?"

"It's the key! The power source of the Atlantis Machine is the Atlantian Jewel. Without it, the machine is useless…Calypso couldn't get a hold of the Jewel in Circe, so she came to Fanelia!"

"Whoa, there's a pendent, just like yours, in Circe?" Merle exclaimed.

"Yes…wait…no. Not anymore. Phoebe found it before Calypso could…she has it with her now. She's been keeping it a secret and using its power to boost her own…" Hitomi gasped. "…Phoebe has been using the pendent to see the future, so she'll know what move Calypso will make, before she makes it. She was using it to get us out of the castle without the other Siren's seeing us."

"That explains the detours." Celina nodded.

The wind began to blow and Hitomi shivered. Merle noticed this and motioned the two women to follow her.

"I have a secret cabin not far from here. Once we get inside, we can warm up and then decide what to do."

Merle's cabin turned out to be a tree house, a half a mile away from the clearing Phoebe had led them to. Merle sheepishly told Celina and Hitomi that they would have to climb up the branches to reach the house. While they climbed, Merle explained the origins of her tree house.

"Lord Van and I built this tree house when we were little. Whenever he wanted to escape his lessons, we'd hide out here. Luckily, when Fanelia burned to the ground, the fires didn't reach this far into the forest."

"It's a nice little house." Hitomi commented when she stepped inside. She had to duck to prevent her head from hitting the ceiling.

"I'll get some blankets." Merle opened a trap door in the wall and pulled out several thick blankets. She tossed two to Hitomi and two to Celina before pulling out a couple for herself. The three of them sat around a small table in the center of the square house. "So, now what?"

"Let's go over what we _do_ know, and then maybe, Hitomi can fill in any holes." Celina suggested. "Circe wants the second Atlantis Machine that Dornkirk hid here in Fanelia, in Dragon's Canyon. But for what purpose?"

"The same reason Dornkirk did, they want to change fate. They want to re-shape all of Gaea according to their own wishes. Circe is too small of a country to fight on its own, like Zaibach did. With the Atlantis Machine, they can change Gaea in an instant. But we know it won't work and Cassandra's vision proves it."

"Right, but the point is they think it _will_ work, so, they've come to Fanelia to get the Machine. But that's not enough because they also need the key. They couldn't find the one in Circe, because Phoebe found it first, so, they arrange a marriage between Van and Calypso so they could take the Jewel that you gave to Van. Now, Calypso has both the Atlantis Machine and the key." Celina paused. "And we're supposed to stop her; with only the help of one Siren…we've certainly got our work cut out for us, don't we?" 

Hitomi and Merle offered a feeble smile.

"Let's get some rest. There's not much we can do right now until Phoebe returns."

The three nodded silently before settling down in their blankets. No one fell asleep instantly. They were up for more than an hour, thinking. Celina thought mostly about Dilandau, wondering if she'd ever get him under her control. Merle worried about Lord Van and what else Calypso would make him do.

Hitomi, however, prayed to anyone who would listen. She prayed that the Atlantis Machine would not awaken. She prayed that Gaea would never have to go through another experience like that of only a few years ago. But most of all, she prayed that she would be able to save Van…

_Hitomi was walking again. The familiar rock and sand laid out all around her. She just kept walking, as if she needed to be someplace. _

_As she pressed forward, small dust clouds rose around her feet with the occasional rock being kicked out of the way. She stopped. Before her lie a great precipice where night seemed to devour all life. All she could see was black below. She saw nothing beyond the darkness._

_Footsteps.__ Hitomi turned around and saw a dark figure emerge from the shadows. As it came closer, the figure began to take shape._

_'Calypso?__ What are you doing here?'_

_Still approaching Hitomi, Calypso's mouth opened to speak but it was Van's voice that was heard._

_"Hitomi, run away."_

_Again, Hitomi noticed the eyes. They were not hers. They were crimson red. Van's eyes._

_'Van?__ What's going on?'_

_Calypso reached her hand towards Hitomi's face. Again, she spoke in monotone._

_"Run, Hitomi. Run away."_

_'But why?'_

_Calypso's hand grabbed a hold of Hitomi's neck and squeezed, like the grip of a vice, a triumphant smile on her face. As soon as her hand made contact with Hitomi's skin, Calypso's body transfigured itself into Van's, a look of overwhelming sorrow on his face._

_"Why didn't you run?"_

_Hitomi felt the ground fall away from her feet as Van lifted her into the air. She began to experience the familiar panic in her chest. She tried desperately to breathe but all she could manage was a single choked word._

_'Why…'_

_"I can't help it." _

_Van held Hitomi's form over the edge of the cliff. In an instant, Hitomi realized what Van was about to do. Frantically, she tried to tell him to stop, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was a strangled cry._

_Van released his iron grip and Hitomi fell into the sea of black. The last thing she heard was Calypso's laughter, ringing in her ears…_

Hitomi awoke with a gasp. She looked around and remembered where she was. Celina and Merle had long fallen asleep.

She lay back down and stared at the roof, thinking about her re-occurring dream. The thought crossed her mind to tell Celina and Merle about it, but before she could reach a decision, she fell asleep again.

When she woke up the next morning, the dream was far from her mind…

Celina, Merle, and Hitomi stayed inside the tree house for two days, living off of the fruit that grew from the branches of the tree they were occupied in and by the jarred goods that were hidden in yet another trap door. It wasn't until the third morning that Phoebe finally appeared and asked to speak with them.

"Is it safe to leave?" Asked an impatient Merle, who after only a couple days, had grown tired of sitting in a small house.

"Actually, the Sirens are still looking for you. But I think _now_ is the time to make an appearance."

Celina narrowed her eyes. "Oh? How so?"

Phoebe kneeled down to her knees, and the other three women did the same. "Every last Siren, here in Fanelia, has been searching in and out of the castle for you three, even Calypso and Van. They've been concentrating on the villages and the market. Earlier this morning, I watched Calypso and Van go to the market. Of course the people are oblivious as to what's really going on, which works out perfectly with my plan.

"The three of you are going to leave this place and go to the market. Try and keep yourselves hidden as much as possible. Especially hide yourselves from those you know that work inside the castle. When you're safely in the market, you're going to keep hidden until you see Calypso and Van. Celina, Merle, you two are going to have to provide a distraction. Find some way to separate the King and Queen and keep Calypso distracted for at least a minute. Hitomi, you're going to have to keep a sharp eye out. Once Calypso's guard is down, you need to grab Van and pull him out of there as fast as you can. Tell him about the Atlantis Machine. Tell him to keep fighting Calypso's spell. I need her as weak as possible if the Atlantis Machine is to be destroyed, because truthfully, I don't stand a chance against her in a fair fight."

Hitomi frowned. "Wait a minute, what do you mean 'I need her as weak as possible'? Aren't we _all_ going to destroy the Machine?"

"No. If my plan works out the way I hope it does, I should be the one to destroy the Machine, not you."

Merle growled. "If we're not even helping you in this, then why did you involve us in the first place?"

"Two reasons, Merle. One, Hitomi is the only one who can get through to Van, and I need him to weaken Calypso as much as possible, that way she'll not have enough energy to catch onto my plan. Second, _if_ I fail, Hitomi and Van are the only ones who can stop the Atlantis Machine." Phoebe looked Hitomi in the eye. "You two are my back up plan."

"I don't like it. Why won't you let us help you? The threat of the Atlantis Machine belongs to everyone, not just you."

"I appreciate your offer, but I have a personal score to settle with Calypso…"

"As do I."

"As do we all." said Celina. Merle nodded.

Phoebe sighed in frustration. "Listen, by warning Van of this danger and telling him to fight, you _are_ helping me. And for now, that's all the help I need. But keep this in mind. I will stop at nothing to stop Calypso. If any of you get captured or killed, I'm afraid I won't be able to help you beyond what I've already done. Above all, I cannot risk Calypso finding out what I'm up to. I'm sorry."

"Are you refusing to help us any…?" Celina began.

"If you're going to act, the time is now. Calypso and Van are in the Market. Find them, separate them, and warn Van. From here on out, we're on our own. Good luck."

Phoebe stood up and turned to leave, ignoring the protests that erupted from Celina and Merle. When she had disappeared completely, Merle growled in annoyance.

"Just whose side is she on anyway?"

"She's on her own side." Hitomi said in monotone. "Her number one priority is to avenge her friend Cassandra. The best way to do that is to thwart Calypso and stop their biggest scheme."

Celina stood up, still facing the direction where Phoebe had vanished. "But that doesn't make sense. The only way to get even with Calypso is to kill her, and she just said that she didn't stand a chance against her. And somehow, she's going to manage to kill Calypso _and_ destroy the Atlantis Machine, alone."

"She's crazy. She'll never survive." Merle smirked.

"I don't think that's her priority either." Celina crossed her arms. "She _will_ destroy the Atlantis Machine. And in the process, she'll destroy Calypso, and herself."

"What?" Merle gasped. "How do you know that?"

"Her entire plan, from the beginning, sounded futile. Think about it, she won't let _anyone_ help her. She wants to be alone while working out her plan. She won't do anything to risk Calypso discovering who she is. And, earlier, she said that if she failed in her plan, Hitomi and Van would be our only hope. Notice, she did not include herself. She didn't say Hitomi, Van, _and _herself. She only said Hitomi and Van would be able to destroy the Atlantis Machine. This means, if she does fail, she'll be dead, and Hitomi and Van will be the only ones alive to stop Calypso." Celina looked down at Hitomi and saw a single drop fall from her face. "Am I right?"

"Yes."

Merle's shoulders slumped forward and her eyes began to sting. People were going to die, she realized. She had hoped it wouldn't be so, but now she knew it was unavoidable. The death of at least two people was already planned, and Merle doubted the number would stay that small. Many more would die. She could feel it, despite her effort to shake it off. The dread passed through her soul, cold and nauseating. She shut her eyes tight. People will die, she thought, but Hitomi and Lord Van would _not_ be among them!

"I know some people who can help us!" the cat-girl said suddenly, her face full of determination. "They'll be able to distract that woman and give you all the time you need, Hitomi."

Hitomi stood up slowly. She brought the back of her hand to her face and wiped away the lone tear. For the moment, she would have to accept that Phoebe was going to die. She had tried to ignore it. She tried to believe that it wouldn't happen. But she knew the truth now. She knew it the moment Phoebe passed her experiences and memories to herself. Hitomi had to accept the fate that had been bestowed.

"Let's go get Van."

An hour later, Celina was dressed in peasants clothing, pacing the entrance to an alleyway, adjacent to Hitomi, who was also dressed in peasants' clothes. She was hiding in the shadows of her own ally. Celina looked up and down the crowded market, bustling with traders, beggars, shopkeepers, families traveling in close knit packs. The Fanelian market was always busy like this. A soft cloud of dust hung in the air from the dirt kicked up by those walking by. Almost every inhabitant carried the same light brown color.

Celina whispered to herself under her hood. "Come on Merle, where are you?"

"Right behind you." came the familiar, yet slightly annoying, voice.

Celina whirled around, just in time to see the small cat-girl appear out of the shadows. She also saw several other shadows appear behind her, but they kept themselves concealed in the dark. Although she couldn't see their faces, Celina could easily tell that the fellow shadows that Merle had fetched were merely children.

"Merle, are you sure they can help us? This may be too dangerous for them."

Merle let out a laugh which was echoed in the smaller shadows behind her. "Just you watch. They'll do fine."  Merle crawled forward and poked her head around the corner of the building. "Any sign of our target?"

"No, not yet. They should be easy to spot. All we have to do is find someone who doesn't look like a rag." Celina cast a backwards glance. "No offence."

One little cat-girl, with dirty yellow hair, crept out of the shadows. "None taken." She joined her friend Merle and peaked at the lively mass of people. Several minutes passed when the smaller girl outstretched one long, skinny limb and pointed to a far corner of the market. "There they are."

Celina looked in the same direction, but didn't see anything. "Where? I can't…" she narrowed her eyes when a small reflection of silver light caught her attention. It was a pair of earrings. They belonged to someone who was wearing a cloak and hood. A taller person, also disguised, walked beside her, less than a foot away. "I see them."

Celina motioned her arm to Hitomi, caught her attention and pointed towards Calypso and Van. Hitomi searched the crowd but returned a confused glance to Celina. "Hitomi doesn't see them."

The yellow haired girl dashed out of the ally before Celina could stop her. She ran on all fours across the street, dodging legs, animals, and carts. When she reached Hitomi, she pointed again into the oncoming throng until Hitomi saw the two targets. She gave a nod of thanks before the little girl dashed back to Merle's side. "She sees them."

"Thanks." Merle crept back and called the attention of the remaining children. "Now listen, we only need a few minutes, so don't do anything too stupid. I don't want anyone to get hurt, alright?" everyone nodded. "Showtime!"

Merle grabbed a hold of Celina's arm and pulled her deeper into the ally, just as seven cat-children raced out of the ally and into the market. "Don't want you to be seen, now do we?" Merle explained when Celina questioned her.

At first, the sounds coming from the market remained the same, but less than a minute had passed when they began to hear screams coming from the throng.

"Hey, watch where you're going!"

"Slow down!"

"Look out!"

Celina listened carefully to the shouts and heard a breaking of glass, followed by even more shouting and screaming.

"Fire!" someone shouted above the rest.

After that short statement, screams erupted and people began to run in all directions. Celina looked down at Merle, who still held onto her arm.

"Merle, I thought no one was going to be hurt?!"

Merle grinned sheepishly. "Don't worry, they know what they're doing. You said we needed a distraction."

"Yes, a distraction, but not a fire!!!"

But Celina couldn't help but grin. Part of her was upset that Merle was allowing a group of children endanger themselves and those around them through in a dangerous stunt. However, another part of her couldn't help but smile at the thought of a crowd of people running in panic from a small, localized fire.

As soon as the screams started and people began to run in all directions in a panic, Hitomi left her hiding place, clutching her cloak to prevent it from being pulled off, and dashed to the last place she had seen Van. People scattered and ran every which way, trying to get away from the few stands whose straw roofs had caught fire. Hitomi was unlucky enough to be going against the traffic, and twice she had run strait into a stranger. She muttered an apology before running off again. Van and Calypso were not far.

Hitomi jumped to the left and hid next to an abandoned pottery stand. She waited a moment and scanned the crowd for Van. Suddenly, she spotted him. In the confusion, his hood had come off, and his unruly black hair stood out in the dirt colored crowd. He was also being pushed to and fro in the panicking mob, and lucky enough for Hitomi, he was coming in her direction, and Calypso was no where in sight. Hitomi jumped from her refuge when Van was only a few feet away, grabbed his wrist and pulled him back to the ally where she had come from. When they were safely hidden, Hitomi signaled to Celina and Merle, but the crowd blocked them from view.

"Who are you?" Van asked.

Hitomi threw off her hood. "It's me."

Instantly, Van's face grew dark and full of rage. He grabbed her by the neck and pinned her to the wall.

"YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE." He roared.

Hitomi instinctively tried to pry his hands away from her, but he was too strong. Instead, a choking noise erupted. "Van…fight her…please…"

A moment passed and Hitomi could feel his grip loosen. She could breathe now, but his trembling hand was still on her neck. She removed her hands from his and waited until Van removed his. His face furrowed in concentration and she could see him shaking.

"You can do it…fight it!" Hitomi coached.

He stood before her, trembling, as he fought to gain control of himself. Soon, his arm withdrew and the struggling stopped. He merely stood there, looking at his own hands, a frightened look on his face. Hitomi gazed up at Van. He seemed to be himself again.

"Van?" she asked timidly.

He looked at her. She smiled and flung her arms around his neck. He held her tight against him, afraid she would be taken away.

"Hitomi, I'm so sorry. It wasn't me…I didn't…"

"I know, Van. It's okay."

"I didn't want to hurt you. I tried to stop it…"

Hitomi squeezed him tighter and silenced him. They remained that way for a while, and then Hitomi remembered what little time she had left. She broke away so she could look him in the face, but remained in the circle of his arms.

"We haven't much time left. Calypso will regain control soon."

Van jerked slightly. "You mean…I didn't break free."

"I'm afraid not." She whispered. She gestured towards the running mob only a few paces away. "This is a distraction so Calypso would loose concentration and you would be able to break free of her spell. But it won't last long."

"Then you have to leave Fanelia! Go to Asturia and tell them…"

Hitomi put a finger to his mouth. "There's not enough time. Listen carefully, because I'm going to have to say this very fast. You remember the Fate Alteration Engine that Emperor Dornkirk had?"

"Of course, we destroyed it."

"There's another one. He built a second Atlantis Machine and hid it here in Fanelia."

"What? Where?"

"Dragon's Canyon."

"Oh no…_that's _what she's after…"

"Listen, Van, one of Calypso's Sirens has turned against her and is helping us. She's going to destroy the Atlantis Machine before Calypso finds it, but she needs your help. You have to keep fighting Calypso's spell. It's weakening her, whether she shows it or not. You have to keep fighting."

"I will, but you're not going to have a lot of time. Calypso's planning on going to Dragon's Canyon in two days."

"Two days? Phoebe will never find the machine and destroy it in that amount of time…"

"Phoebe?"

"Yes, she's the Siren who's helping us…what are you smiling at?"

"I know her. You can trust her."

Hitomi smiled. "I already do."

They held each other, gazing into their partner's eyes, reunited. Van raised one hand and stroked the side of Hitomi's face, resting on her chin. He bent forward as if to kiss her…

Van grabbed her arm, forcefully, and tossed her aside, towards the ally entrance, and he fell to his knees.

"Van, I…"

"RUN!"

Hitomi whirled around and saw that the crowd had died down. The fires had been put out and her time was up. Calypso was gaining control again. She looked back at Van, sitting on the ground, clutching his head, trembling once again. She ached to run to him, to hold him, to make his pain go away…

"RUN!"

Her legs jerked in desire to obey. She only lingered for a moment, enough time to whisper, "I love you Van." She then ran like the wind, into the calm, bustling crowd, vanishing instantly.

_'I love you too, Hitomi.'_

**AN: Ha ha…a little cliffhanger fluff…Hey, "cliffhanger fluff"!!! THAT IS MY SAYING!!!! I OFICIALLY CLAIM IT AS MY OWN!!!! But, seriously, there is now only TWO CHAPTERS LEFT OF THE STORY!!!!! Of course you'll all hate me at the end of the next chapter because…well, you'll see…**

**Oh, I've got a website now! I inserted the link on my bio page thing, so, please go and visit. The site is still under construction, but I have a few pictures posted. Please look around and tell me what you think. Just in case the link doesn't work, the site should be MsoNormal>****Now, I found out that there is at least one person from ****New Zealand****, ****America****, and ****Canada**** reading this story. Just out of curiosity, what country are you from? I want to know how many countries my story is being read. Personally, I think the idea of my story being read in different areas in the world really cool, but, maybe that's why its called "World Wide Web"   LOL.**

**I'd like to thank you all for being patient and reading my story. Please review. Reviews boost my morale!!!**

**Shout out to people I wish I could see right now…**

**I LOVE YOU!!! And I'm gonna get my learners permit this summer. Once I get my license, I'm driving up there on THAT WEEKEND!!! Wish you the best of everything and fluff and fire and all that other pretty stuff!!!!**

**_Prongs_**


	17. Fighting for Control

**AN: Hello peoples around me! The second to last chapter is up! This here is the dreaded chapter that I've been looking forward to writing since I first conjured up this story, and by the end of the chapter, each and every one of you will want to rip my guts out. I am anticipating a lot of nasty reviews, but please, no profanity. Then, you'll all have to wait for the final chapter to post, and then…that's it! The story is over, and I can finally get back to writing Flying High. Honestly, this chapter turned out to be a lot longer than I anticipated. I probably could have split it into two chapters but, no. This is just going to be one LONG chapter. **

**Answer to Reviewers:**

**Libby Hinomoro: Thanks for reading! Here's the next part. Hope you like it!**

**lil-saturn-goddess****: Okay, okay, I'm updating!!! Geesh…**

**Gtkvan****: Hello person from the ****US****! I'm from the ****US**** too! What a coincidence!!! LOL. Really, you think that was the best one? Personally, I like this one, but…well, you just read and tell me what you think. Thanks for reading!!!**

**hawaiikel**** :**** LOL, Yup, your gonna be famous! I've already changed the chapter title on my computer, so, when I re-post this story, it'll be there, and it's all thanks to WONDERFULL YOU!!! Sorry, it's not gonna be 20 chapters. It'll be a nice round 18…LOL. Well, I hope you like what I did with this one. In this chapter, you finally get to see who dies…first! Ha ha…ENJOY!!! And thank you soooooo much for reviewing. You really made my day!**

**meyojojo**** :**** LOL…YOU DROWNED YOUR TEÁ IN HUNNY…HA HA HA HA…..Well, I updated as fast as I could. I hope this was fast enough for you. Enjoy, and thanks for reviewing!!!**

**Kya77: WOW…I know this is going to sound weird, but I'm all excited that an adult is actually reading my story! Maybe cause I just expected Escaflowne to have only a teenage audience, so, I didn't think my story was good enough for some of the older and wiser people in the world….NOT THAT I'M CALLING YOU OLD!!!!!! I'm just honored that you're reading my fic…re-reads what I just wrote…I was right, that didn't make any sense…oh well, thanks for reading/reviewing anyway. I hope this chapter meet's your expectations!!!   **

**Inda****: Um, Hitomi did tell Van about Phoebe. Remember? So, Van knows she's on the good side, so, all is well. Hope you like what this chapter has in store…hee hee… **

**blonde-hitomi : HA HA…I HAVE ANOTHER COUNTRY TO ADD TO MY LIST!!! Now I've got people from US, ****Germany****, ****New Zealand****, ****Canada****, and (you guessed it) ****Australia****!!! HA HA….Thanks for finally reviewing. Yeah, most likely, you will be angry, but, I hope you like it anyway…that doesn't really make sence, but, you'll see what happens. Ja mata!!!**

**Disclaimer:**

**Yugismpuzzle: I do not own…**

**Crookshanks: singing I live in the ****USA****…I like ****Japan****, I want to go to ****Japan****. Hey! I want to go to ****Japan****…**

**Yugismpuzzle: Why do you want to go to ****Japan****?**

**Crookshanks: To get some Chinese food!**

**Yugismpuzzle: --' Then go to ****China****!**

**Crookshanks: oO Is that where Chinese food comes from?**

**Yugismpuzzle: sigh Uh...oh…heh heh, sorry…where was I? Oh yes, I do not own Escaflowne…I still haven't come up with that forty dollars…**

**Chapter Seventeen: Fighting for Control **

Hitomi, Merle, and Celina walked shoulder to shoulder, making their way back to the tree house. It was midday and the hot sun was at its strongest, forcing the trio to stay in the shade of the trees. During their walk, Hitomi relayed to them of the events in the alley between her and Van. By the time she was finished, Celina and Merle were stunned to hear how little time they had left to stop Calypso.

_'Two days…'_

It wasn't enough time to do anything, they thought despairingly. It would take two days alone just to reach Dragon's Canyon, leaving no time to search for the Atlantis Machine, let alone destroy it. The whole thing seemed hopeless.

But Phoebe had said that _she_ was going to destroy the Machine, Hitomi remembered, and no one else was to help her. How was Phoebe going to find the Machine and destroy it before Calypso suspected anything? How would she accomplish anything with only a two day window of opportunity? But Phoebe was a Siren. She must have already known that there were only two days left. That would explain why she wanted Van to weaken Calypso now instead of earlier. Phoebe either needs more time to find the Machine or she wants to catch Calypso off guard. Hitomi guessed it was the latter.

_'Whatever Phoebe's plan is, she doesn't think she'll survive it.'_ Hitomi thought. _'It's a suicide mission.'_

By the time they returned to the tree house, Phoebe was waiting for them at the base of the tree trunk. When she saw their approach, she stood up to meet them.

"Is it done?" she asked.

"Yes, it is done." said Hitomi in a slightly sarcastic tone which Phoebe ignored.

"Good. I thank you for helping me, but now there is nothing left for you to do. Stay here until…"

"Why didn't you tell us there's only two days left?"

"It wasn't relevant."

"Of course it is! If you would have told us when this whole thing started, we would have gone in search of the Atlantis Machine days ago."

"I couldn't let you do that. Even if you made it to Dragon's Canyon and found the Machine before Calypso, how would you destroy it?"

"I don't know, but we would find a way."

"No you wouldn't. There is only one way to destroy the Atlantis Machine, and for that to work, the Machine has to be activated. Do you even know how to turn it on?"

Hitomi hesitated. "No."

Phoebe rummaged beneath her dress and pulled out a necklace with a pink, teardrop shaped jewel.

"Hey, that's my pen…"

"No, it's _my_ pendant. Remember, I have one too. Calypso currently posses your pendent, the same one you gave to Van before returning to the Mystic Moon. This pendant is the Key to activating the Atlantis Machine. Without it, the machine will not operate."

"Couldn't you have lent me yours?"

"No, too risky." Phoebe stated flatly as she hid the Jewel again underneath her dress.

"The point is that without the Jewel, the Machine will not start, and the only way to destroy the Machine is when it's on."

"I still don't understand."

Phoebe shot a double take at Hitomi, as if she were not sure she was speaking to the correct person. "You and Van destroyed the Fate Alteration Engine at the end of the Gaean war, didn't you?"

"Yes, but we're not exactly sure how we did it. It just happened."

Phoebe gaped at Hitomi. "I don't believe this. You must be joking. The only reason _I_ know how to destroy the Machine is because of the way _you_ destroyed it last time. Are you telling me that you're not even sure _how_ you did?" When Hitomi didn't answer, Phoebe threw her arms into the air in frustration. Her usual calm demeanor had vanished completely. "Unbelievable! The only reason I've been following through with this plan was because I was sure that you could back me up if I failed. Now I find out that you don't have the slightest clue on what to do if Calypso succeeds. This is pointless!"

"Wait, you're not saying that you're going to give up, are you?"

"Of course not, it's too late for that!" Phoebe snapped. She took a moment to calm herself then motioned for Hitomi to follow her back to the tree. "Come, I'm going to teach you what I _thought_ you taught me."

Hitomi exchanged glances with Merle and Celina before following Phoebe. Celina tapped Merle on the shoulder, signaling for the cat-girl to remain behind with her. Hitomi sat down after Phoebe, prepared to listen as patiently as possible to the Siren.

"Last time," Phoebe began "Emperor Dornkirk activated the Fate Alteration Engine which was designed to grant everyone's wishes. He had hoped that the Machine would put an end to the war. But as we know, it didn't work. In fact, the Machine intensified the fighting and cause many more deaths instead of preventing them. It was the will of all the people of Gaea to continue fighting. Nothing could stop it, save the destruction of the Engine. That is where you and Van came in to alter fate. You see, while the will of Gaea to keep fighting was strong, the connection between you and Van and the will to see each other was stronger. More than anything, Van wanted you to be safe with him and for the fighting to end. More than anything, you wanted to be with Van and for the Engine to be destroyed. Your combined wishes allowed for the two of you to find each other, and of course, the Fate Alteration Engine to meet its end. There was and is only one way to destroy an Atlantis Machine and that is to wish for its destruction. The key to its destruction is will power. Your will and Van's was stronger than all of Gaea. Likewise, I think my will for the Second Atlantis Machine to be destroyed is stronger than that of Calypso's will to rule all of Gaea."

"And you're going to do this all on your own?"

"Yes."

"Why won't you let me help you? Wouldn't it work better if we're both there?"

Phoebe's eyes grew cold. "No, you are going to stay right here and out of my way."

"But…"

"Hitomi, listen to me! When that thing blows, everything within sight will go with it. I can't look after you and I can't protect you. _I'm_ going to destroy the Atlantis Machine and I'm going to make sure that _all_ of the Sirens go with it. Nothing near will survive." Phoebe had grown quiet. "That's why I can't allow you to come with me. I must do this on my own."

Hitomi felt her eyes sting. She didn't want to cry but she felt so sad for her new friend. "Phoebe, there must be another way. You don't have to give up your life."

Phoebe smiled sadly. "It's my decision to make, and I've made it."

Hitomi leaned over and held Phoebe to herself. Two drops escaped here eyes and slid down her face. Phoebe was stunned for a moment, unsure of what to make of the seeress.

"…good luck."

Her words were simple, yet heartfelt and they held great meaning and respect. Phoebe genuinely smiled and after a moment's hesitation, returned Hitomi's embrace. She closed her eyes, and for an instant, she saw Cassandra's smiling face.

"Thank you."

Phoebe left shortly afterward, leaving the three other girls behind, advising them to stay hidden until after the plan was complete. Once she was out of sight, Merle and Celina told Hitomi about what they had been discussing while she and Phoebe were talking.

"I think I know what Calypso's plan is." Merle started. "Because of the rough terrain, I doubt she'll be taking a caravan to Dragon's Canyon. I think she'll be using a leviship, which makes it a lot easier for us to sneak aboard."

Hitomi frowned. "Sneak aboard? What's the point?"

"The point being, we're going to stow away in the Siren's ship, find that Machine, and help Phoebe, whether she likes it or not."

Hitomi promptly declined, receiving strange and confused looks from the Celina and Merle. She then told them of Phoebe's plan to eliminate the Atlantis Machine and the Sirens. She told them of Phoebe's intent to destroy all of the surrounding area, including herself, and of her certainty that she could not protect the three of them if they were to join her. By the time the questions had been asked and answered, the air had cooled and sunset was only a few hours away. Hitomi found herself amazed at how quickly time flew by during the day.

For the remainder of the time, they kept mostly to themselves, ate because it was necessary, and tried to piece together a way to help Phoebe without getting themselves killed. They went to sleep that night with no comforting thoughts or alternate plans.

That night, Hitomi had her dream again. Each night, the dream became clearer and more frightening. She awoke with a start, damp with perspiration, gasping for breath, and feeling the pain of her heart beating rapidly. She looked around and saw that Celina and Merle were still sleeping. Not wanting to disturb them, she crept out of the small room and climbed down the makeshift ladder.

She walked out among the trees, holding her cloak close to her body for warmth, her Earth clothes stored away in a cupboard in the tree house to avoid standing out in a crowd. While her peasant clothing prevented her from being recognized, it lacked the comforting feeling of something from Earth always being with her. Then she remembered…

The necklace. She still wore the necklace that Amano and Yukari had given her. She remembered vaguely a warm sensation coming from the feather when she had been with Van. She hadn't noticed it before because she was too caught up in the moment, but now, she remembered clearly. Each time she was with Van, while he had been under Calypso's spell, the feather in the necklace had become warm. It was Van's feather. Somehow, it connected Hitomi to him. She realized then that the necklace could help her free Van. She could use the connection to determine whether or not he was under Calypso's spell.

Hitomi pulled out the necklace and gazed at it, admiring the smooth surface of the stones as they gleamed in the night air. The Mystic Moon was not out this night. Fog masked the Earth's beauty, however, was unable to block all of its radiance. The entire sky had a dim, foreboding glow. Still, she kept her eyes on the feather, running a single finger down its silky edge.

"You're going to help me free Van…"

Suddenly, she found a flaw in Phoebe's plan.

_'If she destroys everything, including all the Sirens, what will happen to Van? What if he's with them? He'll be killed too!'_

A whispered cry escaped her mouth.

"…Van!"

After the incident in the Market, Calypso became, if possible, even more unpleasant. She was desperate to find Hitomi and her companions. Most of the Sirens had been reassigned to the effort of finding the missing girls. She was continually on edge, though she didn't dare show it. But she did find herself snapping at the Sirens more often than was necessary. Then to make matters worse for Calypso, after the fire in the Market and being tripped to the ground by a group of cat-children, she had found herself separated from Van. She had only lost control of him for a few minutes but it was enough to instill doubt in her ability to control him. She had found him, of course, crouched in an alley way, unsuccessfully trying to ward off her spell.

_'He must have been trying to escape. Either that or he was trying to warn the Seeress before I got to her.'_

After finding Van, she decided that her personal involvement in the search was over. She and Van returned to the castle and remained there for the rest of the day. During that time, she tried to pry Van for information as to what happened when she lost control of him. She wanted to know why he was in an alley way and how he had broken free, however, Van was not being very forthcoming.

He rarely spoke to her, and when he did, it was concise. He seemed to spend all his energy into resisting her spell, a futile attempt, she was sure. Nevertheless, her endurance was running thin. But that didn't worry her. What bothered her was that Van seemed to _know_ that he was draining her of strength. She could sense his amusement whenever he fought against her. But it was impossible for him to know of his influence over her. Most of her personal Sirens didn't even know that. Which could mean only one thing, she realized…

…the traitor.

Calypso had long suspected that there was a traitor among the Sirens, but she had figured the traitor was still in Circe. Calypso had been meticulous in her choosing of the Sirens she brought with her. She knew each and every one of them. She had been confident that the Sirens she had chosen were loyal to her. But apparently, she was wrong.

The traitor must have found a way to communicate to Van without her realizing. They may even be helping him to fight off her spell. After all, Calypso was the most powerful Siren in all of Gaea, next to her mother. It was impossible for Van to be able to fight her off without someone else's help, Calypso figured. She'd have to keep an extra eye out for the traitor. She'll have to be more careful in whom she trusted vital information.

In the meantime, she'd have to do something about the King of Fanelia. Originally, she had planned to keep Van with her at all times. She had planned on taking him to Dragon's Canyon to see the Atlantis Machine but now that she doubted her abilities, she contemplated on leaving him behind. She could lock him in his room, leave one Siren behind to stand guard, that way she would be free of distractions and not have to falter in her concentration.

_'Yes, leaving Van behind would certainly make things easier…'_

The following morning, Merle woke up to find that Hitomi was not in the tree house. Celina was still sleeping. Quietly, she crept out of the house and bounced down the branches till she landed on all fours in the grass. She let out a big yawn, stretching out all four legs, tail swishing from left to right.

Merle glanced around, searching for Hitomi, but she was nowhere in sight. She sniffed the air around the tree till she found Hitomi's scent and followed it. She wasn't far, no more than a few dozen yards away. She was sitting with her back to a tree, her knees curled up to her chest, her arms wrapped around her legs. She was gazing up at the sky. The cat-girl tiptoed closer.

"You know, I think this is the first time _you_ actually woke up before me." Hitomi smiled. "Whatcha thinkin' about?"

"A few things actually." Hitomi absentmindedly stroked the feather on her necklace. Merle looked at the feather, recognizing it as Van's immediately.

"About Lord Van?"

"One of them, yes." Worry began to appear on her face. "I'm afraid for him."

"Don't worry. You said so yourself: Once Phoebe destroys the Atlantis Machine and Calypso is gone, Lord Van will be free of her spell. Then, everything will be back to the way it's supposed to be."

"But what if Van goes with Calypso? What if she takes him with her and he's too close to the Atlantis Machine? If Phoebe goes through with her plan, Van will be killed too."

"Did he say whether or not he was going?"

"No, he wasn't specific. I don't know if he's going to Dragon's Canyon or staying in Fanelia."

"How are we going to find out? Phoebe's not coming back to us anymore."

"I need to get a message to her. Merle, do you think one of your friends from the market could…"

Merle smiled in determination. "Already on it." And without another word, she bounded off into the forest.

Hitomi felt a wave of gratitude for her friends, and her newfound ones. She was grateful for their determination and willingness to help her. They were risking their lives, she knew, but risks needed to be taken in order to stop the new threat of the Atlantis Machine, otherwise, everyone would suffer.

Hitomi tucked the necklace back underneath her shirt and make her way back to the tree house. When she got there, Celina was just climbing down, sleep still evident in her eyes.

"Good morning." Hitomi greeted.

"It is now. I was worried when I woke up and saw that nobody was there."

"I'm sorry. I had a bad dream last night and I didn't want to disturb you guys, so, I left to get some air. Merle just left a while ago to find one of her friends from the market."

Hitomi then explained to Celina her concerns for Van's safety and her desire to send a message to Phoebe. She told her that Merle was going to find someone who could sneak a message to the former Siren. The explanation took only a few minutes. While doing so, Hitomi thought about telling Celina of her dream, but decided against it, at least until Merle returned.

"And what happens if it turns out that Van _is_ going with Calypso? What do you think Phoebe will do?"

Hitomi thought for a moment. "She'll continue with her plan. She won't risk getting caught and loosing Calypso's trust."

"Then if that happens, we'll have to rescue him ourselves."

"How?"

"We'll go back to the original plan Merle and I came up with. You and Merle will stow away on their leviship, wait till you reach Dragon's Canyon and for all the Siren's to disembark, find Van, and we'll take him back to Fanelia before Calypso realizes what's going on."

"How are we going to get back? A leviship is too slow and too noticeable."

A familiar glint appeared in Celina's eye. "We'll fly out of there on my guimelif."

Hitomi looked at Celina with a questioning glance. "What guimelif?"

"The one I'm going to fly on my way to Dragon's Canyon. I will not stow away, but you and Merle will. I'll have to stay behind you by at least an hour, so, I'll arrive a little later, but once you find Lord Van, you can signal me and I'll fly the three of you out of there."

Hitomi seemed apprehensive. "I don't know. There are a lot of things that can go wrong. One mistake could cost us our lives."

Celina nodded in agreement. "I know, but it's just a 'what if' scenario. Hopefully, it won't be necessary for us to take those risks."

While they waited for Merle to return, Hitomi found some spare parchment in the tree house and composed a short letter to Phoebe. A little over an hour later, Merle returned with the same yellow haired cat-girl who had pointed Van and Calypso out to Hitomi in the market. The girls eyes were golden brown and she had a boyish look to her face. She had the same sort of stripes Merle had, except her fur was much darker, like she had spent most of her life in the sun, and her body was very lithe.

"I don't believe you've been properly introduced. Hitomi, Celina, this is my friend, Liala." Hitomi and Celina gave a short bow which Liala returned. "She's agreed to help."

"So what sort of mischief are you getting yourselves into this time?" the cat-girl said with a grin.

Hitomi smiled. "I need you to take this letter to someone."

Liala frowned. "That's it? That's way too easy." She turned to look at Merle. "I thought you said this would be a challenge."

Hitomi cocked an eyebrow, realizing what this girl's angle was. She wanted a challenge, and Hitomi would give her one.

"Her name is Phoebe. She's one of the people visiting from Circe. I need you to give this letter to her and have her write a response. I'm not sure where she is but most likely, she'll be inside the castle. Can you find her, give this to her, and return with a response before sunset, without being detected?"

Liala took the letter from Hitomi. "Interesting assignment. Search for a woman who could really be anywhere, most likely inside the castle, break into one of the most closely guarded places in Fanelia without being found, and return here before the day is done." She lowered her head as if to consider the proposal, then, she stuffed the letter into the folds of her dress and her head snapped up. "I'll do it."

Hitomi bowed again. "Thank you."

"You three have some pretty crazy ideas." She turned to Merle. "Why aren't _you_ doing this?"

"The people from Circe are already looking for me but their not looking for you."

"This must eat you alive, you not being able to go." Liala teased.

"Hey, don't rub it in. You just make sure you don't get caught."

Liala winked. "Always do."

And then she was gone.

Liala took much longer than Merle had expected. She had been gone all day and the sun was beginning to set. Merle expressed worry for her friend when she didn't return an hour ago. Celina tried to calm her down by saying Liala had plenty of time left, but that didn't alleviate any of Merle's concerns. Merle explained that Liala was the best at what she does. No matter what the task, Liala would always find a way. If she wasn't back by now, something must have gone wrong. It was a half an hour till sunset and Merle had just voiced the opinion of going off to find her friend when Liala finally appeared. She was breathless and covered in dirt, but she was okay.

"What took you so long?" Merle screamed while stomping her foot.

"What are you talking about? I've still got extra time. The sun hasn't set, has it?" Liala countered. She rummaged through her dress, pulled out a small piece of parchment, and handed it to Hitomi. "Here you go."

Hitomi promptly unfolded the parchment and read it out loud.

_Hitomi, _

_I highly doubt that Calypso will bring King Van with her to Dragon's Canyon. She'll likely keep him inside the castle while she's away. However, if she does bring him, there is nothing I can do. I have a more important mission to accomplish, as you are already aware._

_Calypso and her Siren's will depart on the _Phoenix_ tomorrow morning. If the ship returns, it will be up to you. If it does not, then I have succeeded. _

_Good luck to us all, _

_Phoebe_

Celina crossed her arms. "So even Phoebe doesn't know if Lord Van is leaving or not." Hitomi handed the letter to Celina.

"Apparently so."

"Well then, I say we hope for the best and plan for the worst. Anyone know where the _Phoenix_ anchored?"

"I do." said Liala. "It's just outside the Palace wall on the West side, about 200 meters."

Celina whistled. "That's not very much. Hitomi, Merle, you're going to have to be already on the ship by the time Calypso leaves the palace, assuming Lord Van is with her, of course."

"If we get on that ship and Calypso decides to leave Lord Van behind, we'll be stuck. But how are we going to know if Lord Van is coming or not?" Merle whined.

Hitomi looked to Liala. "Are you up for another adventure?"

"Count me in." Liala grinned.

"Aren't you excited, Van? Tomorrow is the big day."

_'Ecstatic.' _Van responded in monotone.

It was just after sunset. Calypso and Van were retiring to their room after making sure all the arrangements for the next day were in order. All the supplies had been stored onto their leviship, the _Phoenix_, and everything was set for tomorrow's flight. They were walking arm in arm to their rooms.

Calypso rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Van, you should be happy. Hitomi's alive, along with her little friends. That clever little witch managed to escape after all. Apparently, they've forgotten all about you. But there's no reason to fret, after all, they're alive and well. Doesn't that make you happy?"

_'…'_

Calypso squeezed Van's arm in an affectionate way. "You know, you really must learn to open up more."

Calypso had noticed that Van became very uncomfortable when she physically touched him. That is why, where ever they went, she always held onto his arm. She could sense his annoyance whenever she did it.

They walked in silence to the bedroom door. Once it was open, Calypso let him go and he sat at the foot of the bed. Calypso locked the door, turned back to her husband, and again, engaged him in conversation.

"You know, I must admit, you're not quite what I imagined you to be."

_'How so?'_

She came forward and sat on his right. "Well, for one thing, I imagined you to be a little taller." Calypso let out a short laugh. "Actually, I never expected you to try and fight off my spell, let alone keep at it as long as you have."

_'I hate you.'_

"Undoubtedly. But you must really care for that seeress of yours if you're fighting me this hard. You actually love her, don't you?"

_'…'_

"I wonder what she could possibly see in you. After all, you're hardly a 'prince charming.' Oh, but listen to me, I'm talking as if she still cares about you after all you did to her…"

_'Of course she…'_

Van cut himself off, realizing that Calypso was just trying to provoke him, and succeeding. She could sense his anger building, but she could also feel the affection he had for Hitomi, albeit she could feel it only for a moment. Calypso decided to play with his former emotion.

"Still, I just can't see what she sees in you. You're arrogant, hotheaded, violent, extremely overconfident, and I must confess, you're not very sensitive to a woman's feelings. I mean, look at what you did to poor Hitomi." Calypso feigned being hurt. "Look at what you're doing to me. You won't even talk to me, your wife."

_'You're not my wife.'_

"Oh really?" Calypsos usual demeanor returned. "I have a contract signed by both of us that says otherwise, and I didn't even have to put a spell on you to do it. You signed of your own free will. Ah, see? Now, how strong is the love between you and your seeress if you got married to another person? To me? I just don't understand what goes on in that little head of hers." Calypso leaned into Van, carefully placing her right hand on his heart. "It's virtually impossible to love someone as cold-hearted as you…unless…" she removed her hand and grazed Van's cheek. She turned his head, made him lock eyes with her, and rested her fingertips on his lips. "…maybe it's there."

She leaned forward and kissed him gently. She broke away for a moment and kissed him again, with more passion. She relished in the emotions swirling about her. Hatred, loathing, and revulsion were all emanating from Van along with the warmth of his body and the smell of the field.

She broke away and held his gaze. "Now I see. She's a lucky girl."

It was then that Calypso felt a curious sensation. It was coming from Van, but she couldn't quite but her finger on it. "What's wrong, Van?" then her eyes grew wide. "Oh, I see. You haven't kissed her yet." She laughed openly now, pleased to uncover one of Van's secrets. "Oh, you poor soul. Not only have I stolen you away from the seeress, but I've stolen your first kiss. You must really hate me now."

_'Hate doesn't even begin to describe what…'_

Calypso cut him off. "Now now, no need to hurt anyone's feelings. We are human after all...well, sort of. Well, I'm getting tired, so why don't you get ready for bed?"

Van felt himself stand in obedience. As he walked away from Calypso, he made himself a promise. Someday, Calypso would pay for everything she has done and she would pay with her life.

"You know, I think I will keep you with me, just a little while longer." Calypso whispered to herself. "I'm having too much fun."

The morning of departure had come. Celina, Merle, Liala, and Hitomi snuck into the leviship yard during the early morning hours when security was at its lowest. With Liala's guidance, the four of them managed to find and board the _Phoenix_ without incident. They all decided that it would be best if Merle and Hitomi hid in different sections of the ship, just in case one of them was spotted, the other could continue on. But before they hid in their respective places, they needed to know if Van was coming or not. So, Hitomi and Merle hid together in a cargo section, located near the exit ramp. There was a small slit in the wall, a makeshift window designed to keep the room ventilated. Through this slit, Hitomi could see through to the forest and somewhere in there, Celina was hiding. Sunrise had come and gone. Calypso and her Sirens would be boarding soon. All Hitomi and Merle needed was a signal.

Carefully hidden along the tree line, Celina sat with her back to a large oak, waiting. She had been sitting for several hours after getting tired of standing for several more. Her hands were in her pockets as they each fingered something within. She contemplated standing up again, as her current position was growing uncomfortable, when Liala appeared through the trees. She had obviously sprinted her way over. She was gasping for breath, yet she was eager. Celina stood, readying herself to give a signal.

"Well?" Celina asked, urgently.

"Red." Liala said with a nod.

Celina immediately pulled her right hand out of her pocket, containing a long red piece of fabric. She came around the tree so that only her arm was visible and waved the red scarf in a wide arch.

"There's the signal." Hitomi announced.

Merle was sitting at Hitomi's feet, looking up at her eagerly. "Well, what's happening?"

"It's red. Van is coming aboard."

Merle sighed in disappointment. "I guess that's my cue. Where will you be hiding?"

"I'm going to stay here. When the ship lands, I want to be the first one out, just incase Calypso plans to take Van with her everywhere."

"I'm going to the stables. After we land, I'll search the ship."

"Sounds good. Remember, at sunset, head south until we find Celina, with or without Van. If we can't get him the first time, we'll plan something else."

"Right." Merle nodded. She knew all of this, but it was good to go over it one last time. "Good luck Hitomi."

Hitomi gave Merle a reassuring smile. "You too. Now go."

She dashed out the door and was gone in a blink of an eye.

Hitomi settled herself behind some old crates in the corner, sat on the floor, hugged her knees while occasionally fingering the hidden dagger in her boot, and waited.

After waving the scarf about 20 times, Celina hastily stuffed it back into her pocket, turned to Liala, and muttered, "Let's go."

She dashed off into the trees, Celina in tow. They traveled for about ten minutes till they broke free of the trees and were in the market. They ran freely now, not worried about the Siren's spotting them. Many people yelled for them to slow down as they leapt out of their way, but Celina and Liala didn't slow. They continued to run till the sounds of the Market had long died away and they approached a large stone building which connected itself to the castle wall. The guimelif hanger.

Security was minimal, however, a problem. There was only one entrance and exit, and two Fanelian guards prevented any access. Normally, Celina would walk in, get her old guimelif, and leave with no fuss, but she couldn't take the risk that these men were under the influence of one of the Siren spells. Celina looked at the cat-girl beside her.

"You up for this?"

Liala smiled in anticipation. "I was born for this."

Then she dashed away. Celina watched as the girl managed to slip through the large door without the two guards noticing. They were too busy sitting on makeshift chairs and playing cards. A minute later, Celina heard a small crash from inside the hanger. The two guards heard it to and abandoned their game to investigate. Celina suppressed a laugh. Not a moment later, she heard yelling from inside the hanger and a few more crashes. Then Liala emerged with a large pink stone in her mouth and she was running on all fours, looking very pleased with herself. The two guards ran after her, yelling for the "stupid little cat-girl" to return the energist. She had them follow her around the corner, and soon, the three of them disappeared.

Celina whispered her thanks to Liala before dashing out of her hiding spot and into the hanger. She continued to run down the long row of guimelif units, most of them dusty and some rusted from lack of use. Minutes later, she found hers, hidden in the shadows. She stopped and stared up at it in fierce determination. It didn't seem to have aged at all. No rust, no visible damage, and hardly any clutter on it. She could hear in the back of her mind the familiar insane laughter. This guimelif took the lives of hundreds, most of them innocent bystanders. Even now, she could smell the smoke and she could hear the screams of the dying and of the dead. So much pain had been caused because of this cursed machine.

But all that would change. She would use this killing machine one last time, except this time, she would save the lives of thousands. No, just one. That was enough. It was enough to save Lord Van. Phoebe would do the rest.

"It's time to face my past."

She climbed up to the cockpit of the guimelif. The energist was there, thanks to Liala. Celina picked it up and slowly placed it inside the liquid rock. When her hand left the stone, the guimelif energized and she could hear the soft hum of power coursing through it. The cockpit came open with an odd sound, like flesh lapping against each other. She moved to the center of it and hesitated. She looked up, but only saw black. Pieces of the melif unit extended around her, like flower pedals ready to swallow her whole. She raised her left arm and brushed a switch with her fingertips. Instantly, the pedals enveloped her and pulled her deep inside. It was dark for a moment, but only a moment. The systems activated and holes appeared so she could see outside. For an instant, she felt claustrophobic as pieces of her unit surrounded her, attaching themselves to her arms and legs. Restraints appeared along her chest and held her fast. A hiss of steam impaired her vision just before a cold liquid substance filled the remaining space around her. The cold, dense metal continued to rise till it was just below her neck. The only space that remained was her head. The only reason she did not suffocate was because of the holes in her visor which allowed her to see and breathe.

She was back to the way it was. Instantly, all the years of experience of flying this machine, and others like it, came rushing back. Every move, every button, every posture commanded a different function, and she knew them all.

Without hesitation, she pressed her heals down and hunched her shoulders forward. The guimelif stood up. Celina turned her torso to the left and brought her right knee forward. The melif turned to the left. She brought her left knee forward and the melif took one step forward. Then, she did the same with her right, and then left again. Step by step, she walked out of the hanger and strait into the forest. No one saw her leave. When she was a considerable distance away, she lowered her shoulders and pointed her toes down. The guimelif flew high into the sky and headed towards Dragon's Canyon, keeping a slow pace and making sure the sun stayed at her back to prevent being spotted. She was ahead of schedule, and she didn't want to get too close to Calypso's leviship. If she was spotted, their plan was ruined.

While Celina hung back, she checked her guimelif to see which systems were still operational. She was surprised to see that all of the melif functions were in top condition. The stealth cloak, the crema claws, and the flamethrower were all in perfect working order. She wondered if she should be pleased or disturbed with this information. Then, the voice returned, stronger this time. It was trying to say something, but Celina refused to listen.

"No, you don't control me anymore."

But the voice persisted, incoherent, but ever present. Celina quickly realized that she couldn't fight him forever. For now, yes, she could resist, but someday, she'd have to face him. Now was as better time as any. There was no one nearby that she could hurt, save herself. But it was something that needed to be done. She couldn't help Hitomi if she was fighting an internal battle at the same time.

Hesitantly, Celina lowered her mental defenses. The garbled voice became clear.

_"Burn them all!"_

"What do you want Dilandau?"

_"Burn the witches! Burn them all to the ground!"_

"You're not making any sense. What witches?"

_"The Sirens.__ Burn them all before they can use the Machine. If there's no one around to activate it, there's no threat."_

"No. Phoebe is going to destroy the Atlantis Machine. She's the only one who can."

_"She's lying! I can burn that Machine to dust. Nobody will be able to tell the difference between the Machine's ashes or the Sirens."_

"We've already got a plan, and we're sticking to it."

_"Your plan takes too long and there are too many variables. My way is quick and easy. They don't have anything that can stop us."_

"They have Lord Van."

_"But without Escaflowne, even the great King cannot do anything to stop me. I could crush him easily."_

"The point of this mission is to _save_ Lord Van."

_"No, it's to save the world by destroying the Atlantis Machine."_

"No, that's Phoebe's mission. Ours is to stay out of her way. Lord Van is _not_ to be harmed. That includes Hitomi and Merle."

_"You're making things difficult. Although, it's still possible to burn everything else, after your three little friends are out of the way. Come on, it's easier my way, and there are less risks. After all, doesn't Calypso deserve a fiery fate?" _

Celina closed her eyes. He had a point. Getting rid of the Sirens before they even find the Machine would be easier. She could get Van, Hitomi, and Merle out of the way, then circle back and burn everything. Yes, eradicate any trace of them. Once the Siren's are gone, they'll be no one left to operate the Machine. Problem solved. It would be so simple. Yes, burn everything to the ground…

Fiery red eyes looked out across the land, following from a distance the Siren's leviship.

"…burn…"

The trip to Dragon's Canyon was long and uneventful. Hours passed, yet the ship showed no signs of slowing down. Hitomi found herself glancing out the window more than was necessary, looking at the sun to try and find the time. As far as she knew, it was only two or three hours till sunset. Occasionally, she'd look down at her wrist expecting to find her watch, but she had left it inside the tree house, along with her other belongings. But the watch didn't work on Gaea anyway. The time was different. What was noon for Gaea was probably 3 am in her home town.

She began to think about home. She had done a lot of that these past few days. She wondered how Yukari and Amano were doing. She hoped her parents and brother were alright. She knew she left in a hurry but they understood. Hitomi closed her eyes and pictured her family clearly in her mind. Her mother and father were walking side by side, each of them holding the hand of a younger child. They were at a carnival, for Hitomi's eighth birthday. They had so much fun that day. Hitomi allowed the memory to envelop her. In it, she found comfort...

She opened her eyes suddenly when the ship gave a short jerk. She had fallen asleep. She chastised herself and jumped up to the window. She looked out and saw the scenery had completely changed. There was rock everywhere and extending far beyond her sight was a jagged crevice that was so deep, she could only see black in the bottom. It was less than an hour till sunset, by Hitomi's guessing, and she had just reached her destination. Dragon's Canyon.

There wasn't time to search for Van. She'd have to leave first chance she got if she were to rendezvous with Celina. But first, she'd have to find Merle, and that was dangerous.

When Hitomi heard footsteps approaching, she dashed back to her hiding spot and went still as a statue. A moment later, the door opened. The sounds of boxes being shuffled around and lifted away filled the room. Hitomi kept her cool and her breathing soft. Several agonizing minutes passed and the door shut again, and all was silent. Hitomi could still hear people walking outside the door, so, she remained where she was until she was confident that most of the Siren's had departed the ship.

Ten minutes of silenced passed till Hitomi crept out of her cargo hold. She snuck down the corridors, carefully checking corners and keeping her ears pricked for any noise. Before the sun had risen that morning, she and Merle had familiarized themselves with the lower sections of the ship, that way they would be able to find each other, if required. Now, Hitomi was taking the most direct route to the stables.

She approached a corner and heard footsteps approaching. Hitomi backtracked and hid inside a random room, which, by luck only, was empty. It looked like an unused study room. Hitomi pressed her ear to the door till she heard the footsteps die away. Then, she carefully opened the door, peaked outside, and resumed her search. She continued down the passageways, listening intently for any signs of life. When she turned one corner, she almost walked headlong into one of Calypso's Sirens. Luck alone saved her, again. She was carrying a heavy box covered in dust, and at the exact moment Hitomi appeared behind her, the woman sneezed. Hitomi pressed her back hard against the wall, waiting for the woman to leave. When she finally did, Hitomi let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

The remainder of the journey proceeded without incident. At last, she found the door to the stables

She pressed her ear to the door, listening for voices, but all she could hear were the hoof stomps of the horses. Hitomi assumed it was safe. She put her hand on the door handle but before she could turn it, the door opened before her. One of the Sirens stared at Hitomi in surprise, quickly replaced with suspicion.

"Who are you?" she accused.

"Uh…"

The woman didn't give Hitomi any time to respond. Quick as a flash, she twisted Hitomi's arm behind her back and pinned her to the wall.

"We have an intruder!" she called out into the corridors. A moment later, another Siren appeared and gave assistance to the first. Together, they dragged Hitomi away from the stables and towards the exit of the ship. At one point, they passed another Siren who was walking in the opposite direction. She asked what was going on and her two captors replied that they had found an intruder. Hitomi looked up as she walked passed and stared into familiar eyes. It was Phoebe. For a moment, Hitomi thought of calling for her help, but then she remembered, she would not help. Hitomi wasn't even supposed to be there. Phoebe had a more important mission. So, Hitomi kept silent as she walked passed and Phoebe's face remained indecipherable.

As they exited the ship, Hitomi struggled against her bonds but the two women possessed strength that was far beyond what she had expected. In fact, struggling only seemed to hurt Hitomi, rather than help her.

As they walked/dragged Hitomi away from the _Phoenix_, she stumbled several times, tripping and kicking rocks that were in her way. The sun was almost set and the failing light did not provide much illumination. She realized that fog was passing over the land, heading in the same direction as she. They continued on for a while until Hitomi could make out several forms in the distance. It was Calypso and her Sirens. They were standing at the edge of the precipice, where the fog was cascading down into the dark pit. As they approached, Hitomi saw that Calypso was holding some sort of device that looked similar to binoculars, and she was gazing out across the canyon, looking pleased.

"Your Majesty," said one of Hitomi's captors. "We've found an intruder aboard our ship."

Calypso turned around and looked at Hitomi in surprise.

"Well, well, well. I most certainly didn't expect this." She handed the device to one of the women standing near her.

Calypso came forward and another person followed. Hitomi shot a double take when she saw it was Van.

"What are you doing here, lady Hitomi?" Calypso asked, good-naturedly.

"Release Van."

"I'm sorry, I don't understand."

"Your spell! I know you're controlling him. Let him go!"

Calypso gazed down at Hitomi, looking innocent. "I'm not controlling him. Am I controlling him?" She turned to Van. "Van, am I controlling you?"

"Of course not." He answered.

Calypso smiled. "See, I'm not doing anything. He's free to do whatever he wants."

Hitomi wanted to scream. She was speaking to a mad woman! Hitomi wondered how she was going to be able to escape her ordeal. Then, she remembered Merle. If she managed to escape, she could call on Celina and they could help, but Hitomi didn't know where Merle was. She could be on the ship, still in the stables, or she left before that other woman arrived, or she could already be heading South.

Wherever Merle was, she hoped that she had escaped in time.

Unknown to Hitomi, however, Merle was watching everything. She had long escaped the _Phoenix_ and had waited outside for Hitomi to come out. Unfortunately, when Hitomi had finally emerged, a couple of Sirens were accompanying her. At that point, Merle hid herself as best as she could. Her peasants cloak was wrapped over her head and her body pressed close to the ground. The cloak provided camouflage that allowed Merle to inch closer to Hitomi and the Sirens. She was having a bad case of dejá vu. The first time Hitomi came to Gaea, Merle went into hiding when Van and Hitomi were captured at one of Zaibach's dragon graveyards'. This time, Merle was not going to stay hidden. When she was close enough, she dashed out, quick as lightening, and tackled one of the women who held Hitomi prisoner to the ground. She fiercely began to bite and scratch the woman, despite her efforts to protect herself in her fetal position.

Hitomi took the opportunity to rip her other arm away from the other woman, but by the time she got to her feet, two more tackled her to the ground. Four others grabbed a hold of the hissing cat-girl. It took all four of them to pin Merle to the ground, and even then, they were struggling. A fifth woman appeared behind Merle and produced a long knife.

"Run Merle! Run away!" Hitomi screamed when she saw the deadly weapon. 

But the Siren's held Merle fast to the ground.

"No, let her go." Calypso commanded. The Siren's released her immediately and the dagger disappeared from view. Merle dashed up and put several feet distance between herself and the Sirens. "Go ahead _Merle_. Run." Calypso pointed all around at the desert landscape. "You've got over a hundred miles of sand and rock to run to. Pick a direction and go."

Merle looked hesitantly at Hitomi.

"Go Merle." She whispered. "Its okay, go." She gave the cat-girl a meaningful look. Merle nodded and dashed away as fast as her four legs could carry her, heading South.

Calypso yelled back to her. "That's right, go back to Fanelia." She turned back around and her voice returned to normal. "She'll never survive the trip. As for you, my dear," Calypso gestured in Hitomi's direction and two Siren's lifted her roughly to her knees. Each Siren held one arm and pressed Hitomi's shoulders forward, forcing her into a bowing position. "You've caused me more trouble than I would have thought. You should have stayed in Fanelia. At least you were safe there, because now," Calypso bent close and held Hitomi's chin in her hand, her eyes full of sympathy, and whispered, "I'm afraid I'm going to have to kill you now."

Calypso stood upright again at Van's side and her eyes returned to their natural hollow look. "Throw her over the cliff. I don't want to see her again."

The two Siren's dragged Hitomi backwards as she began to flail about, trying to break free.

"NO!"

Everything froze, even Hitomi. Everyone's eyes were locked on Van and Calypso. Hitomi looked carefully at Van. He was staring at Calypso with murder in his eyes. It was Van. The _real _Van. He was beginning to break free. Hitomi noticed his right hand twitch. She could almost see in his mind the desire to attack Calypso, to kill her. Although his face remained expressionless, his eyes seemed to be the only part of him that he could control. Calypso looked at Van, a mixture of surprise and anger.

"You _dare_ to say no to me?" 

Calypso couldn't believe it. Van had broken through her spell, although only for an instant. As soon as she had sentenced Hitomi, Calypso had felt a newfound power surge through Van. It was enough to break through, and she was furious that he had caught her off guard. The Siren's looked to her now. Depending on what she did now would determine if they would still follow her. Calypso would not allow her fellow Siren's to view her as being weak.

Calypso raised one hand and placed her forefinger in the center of his forehead. Nothing happened, but even Hitomi could sense the doubt leave the area and it being replaced with newfound respect and fear. What ever Calypso was doing, all of the Sirens were satisfied that it was the right thing to do.

_'What's going on?'_ Hitomi wondered.

And then she felt it. The feather was growing warm again. Suddenly, she could hear something. It was a voice, but she couldn't quite place it. A few seconds passed and the sound became more distinct. She realized it wasn't a voice at all. It was screaming, and the sound was coming from Van's mind. Every moment, the screaming grew louder and it filled Hitomi's ears until she was blinded by it. She could even see him, almost as if she were inside Van's mind. He was on the floor in the midst of a raging inferno. The flames towered above him, engulfing him. His flesh and clothing were unharmed, but it was obvious that he could feel everything. His screams of agony were unbearable.

"Stop it! You're torturing him!" Hitomi yelled. The sound of her own voice brought her back to reality, but in the distance, she could still hear Van's suffering.

Calypso looked down at Hitomi. "I'm not the one causing him anguish, you are. If you weren't here, he'd be perfectly fine."

"Please, just stop it!" she pleaded.

Calypso's finger lingered a moment longer as she seemed to consider Hitomi's request. Then, she slowly removed her hand and returned it to her side. "As you wish. I suppose every condemned person should be granted one last request, what do you think?" she looked at each Siren around her. Every one of them carried the same smile of satisfaction that Calypso herself wore. _'Loyal to the end.'_ She thought smugly. She then looked back at the two Sirens that held Hitomi from behind. Calypso raised an eyebrow. "As you were."

The Sirens shifted as they prepared to drag Hitomi over the cliff when Van's voice stopped them for a second time.

"Stop. Leave her alone."

He spoke softly, slowly, and in monotone, but Hitomi could hear him shouting in his mind. Somehow, Van's feather let her see into his mind. She could see him standing in the dark, wincing in pain from the torture he had to endure, yet he was yelling into the dark, yelling at Calypso.

"She has nothing to do with this." _'This is between me and you!'_ "Leave Hitomi out of it."

"She made herself a part of it, and now, she's going to pay." She glanced back at the two Sirens restraining the seeress. "Get on with it!"

They dragged her along the rocky ground, scraping the backs of Hitomi's legs. She flailed about, twisting her body around, trying to loosen their grip, but they held tight, and they were patient. Each moment brought Hitomi closer to the edge. Yet she continued to kick and scream.

"Stop it! Let me go! Don't do this! Van!"

In the background, Hitomi could also hear Van's desperate plea's go unanswered.

Calypso grew weary. Van was now fighting with all the strength he had left. If he kept this up, she wouldn't have to worry about killing him later on, he'd do it himself. But the whole point of getting rid of the seeress at this moment was so Van would be able to see it, but he was concentrating all his energy on trying to break free. She looked down and saw his right arm give another twitch. Then his leg. _'He's actually trying to save her.'_ She rolled her eyes at the thought.

And then…

"Stop!"

The two Sirens stopped, again. They looked up at Calypso, confused.

"Bring her back here."

They brought Hitomi to her feet and she didn't fight them. She was moving away from the cliff, and that was good news for her. Her escorts stopped her when she was a few feet away from Calypso and shoved her to a kneeling position once again. She walked forward, looked Hitomi up and down and turned her gaze to Van.

"You think you can save her, do you? I wonder, can you save her from yourself?"

She circled Van once and stopped when she was at his side. He turned his gaze towards hers. Calypso smiled with a demon look glinting in her eye. Van stared at her, blankly, waiting for his next order. Calypso glanced down at the cowering form of Hitomi before locking eyes with Van.

"Kill her…"

The two Sirens brought Hitomi to her feet, roughly, and without hesitating, Van's hands reached out and grabbed at Hitomi's neck. He squeezed so hard, she was sure she would be decapitated. Hitomi instinctively tried to ward him off, but the Sirens deprived her of the use of her arms.

Almost as if she were reading Hitomi's mind, Calypso motioned for the Sirens to release Hitomi. They did so and took several steps back, where they remained. Once she was free of them, Hitomi frantically tried to pull off Van's hands, but he was too strong. She tried to speak to him, but so great was his vice grip that not even a choking noise would allow itself.

Her vision grew watery and in her ears, she could hear the deep pounding of her blood. She could feel something burning on her chest. It was the feather. She squinted up at Van. In his face was fiery determination, but, his eyes. She could see it, as clear as daylight. Pain. Van was still there, and he was watching all of this. Hitomi tried to say his name, but it was useless. Instead, she screamed it in her mind.

His grip loosened until Hitomi fell to the ground at his feet. She gasped for breath and coughed the air out again. In her chest, she could feel the painful drum roll of her lungs. She thought vaguely of running away, but the thoughts never seemed to reach her legs. She suddenly felt lightheaded and all she wanted was to sleep. She was only dimly aware of Calypso screaming at Van.

"What are you doing? I said kill her! I command you! Throw her over the cliff if you have to, but just do it!"

Van's entire body began to shake. "…no…"

"You'll do as I say!"

"…I can't…"

"I gave you an order, now obey!"

"NO!"

Van fell to his knees, grasping at his head. Hitomi managed to gain some of her senses back by this time. She pulled herself up, slowly, and pulled Van closer to her. She wrapped her arms securely around him and put her chin over his head while whispering words of encouragement.

"You can do it, Van. Fight her. I know you can. It's working."

He trembled more violently and his hands became fists. Hitomi put her hands over his.

"Come on, Van. Keep going. You can do this, I believe in you. You have the power. She can't control you."

Hitomi glanced up for a moment and was pleased to see Calypso trembling as well. She was trying to use all her remaining energy into restraining Van and getting him back under her control, but it wasn't working. Van was fighting, and he was winning. Calypso dropped to one knee in exhaustion, but refused to give up. She raised one shaking hand towards Van, trying to focus all her energy. Then, to Calypso's surprise, one of her Sirens offered her a hand. Calypso looked at it for a moment and took it. She stood up again but kept her eyes and hand focused on Van. Then, another Siren approached and put her hand on Calypso's shoulder and another put her hand on her other shoulder.

Hitomi looked at Calypso, confused, when she began to smile in triumph. "He may be able to fight me, but he's no match for our combined power."

Suddenly, Van's trembling stopped. His hands dropped to his sides and his breathing returned to normal. Hitomi let him go and tried to look him in the eye, but with his head lowered, she couldn't.

"Van?"

"Hit…Hitomi…"

"Yes, Van, what's wrong?"

"…run…away…"

In an instant, Hitomi knew. _'My vision!'_ It was coming to pass. She knew what would happen if she didn't obey Van, so without hesitating, she leapt up and ran in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, she was still slightly disoriented and by the time she took a few running steps, she ran headlong into the two Sirens that had restrained her earlier. They grabbed a hold of her and whirled her around. She watched as Van stood up and shuffled his feet towards her.

"No! Let me go!" she screamed as she fought her captors.

Van came up to her and seized her wrist. The two Sirens released her as Van pulled Hitomi with him towards the cliff's edge. He didn't look at her, but she could hear him mumbling.

"…fight…me…"

_'Fight me, Hitomi! I can't stop it!'_

She pulled back on her wrist, twisting it around, feeling her skin burn from the effort, but he refused to relinquish his control. She dropped to the ground, forcing him to change tactics. She snatched up a sharp rock on the ground, mumbled an apology, and brought the edge hard across the back of his wrist. Impulsively, he let go and Hitomi scrambled to her feet. She didn't get more than two feet when he was on her, pinning her to the ground by her shoulders. She almost blacked out when her head hit the rocky terrain.

_'Fight Hitomi!__ Please!'_

Hitomi opened her eyes and saw Van's fierce expression looking down on her. He let go of her shoulders and wrapped his hands around her neck. Gradually, he began to constrict. She squirmed about but Van was straddling her and she had no use of her legs. She pulled and tore at his hands, desperate for air. He was too strong. Unless…

_"My dagger…"_

_'Use it!'_

Hitomi realized that it wasn't Van who was talking, it was his mind. Again, she could hear his thoughts, and apparently, he could hear her too. Faintly, she could feel the heat coming from the feather hidden under her shirt.

_"Van, I can't…"_

_'Do it, Hitomi. Don't let me hurt you. Kill me if you have too!'_

_"No! I'm not going to kill you!"_

_'You have too!'_

Despairing, Hitomi reached down past Van's leg and pulled the dagger from her right boot.

_"Please, I don't want to hurt you."_

_'There's no other choice. Quickly, before Calypso sees!'_

As fast as she was able, Hitomi launched the dagger back and forward again, aiming directly above Van's heart. She'd hurt him, but she refused to kill him. But her indecision cost her. Calypso caught sight of the dagger and motioned for Van to intercept it. He caught Hitomi's wrist when the blade was only an inch from his chest. She looked up in surprise just before he violently twisted her hand, breaking it instantly. The dagger fell uselessly to the ground. She tried to cry out in pain, but vocalization was beyond her capability. Instead, a stream of tears leaked out of the corners of her eyes. Hitomi's right hand lay limp on the ground. Van picked up the dagger by the hilt and tossed it behind him, down into the canyon.

He stood up, pulling Hitomi up with his other hand until she was off the ground. With her only usable hand, she held onto Van's arm, trying to alleviate the weight of her body from her neck. She kicked out, landing several blows to his torso, but he didn't even flinch. He merely stared at her with a cold, blank expression, holding her in the air, calling upon strength that didn't seem possible for his physical appearance.

Soon, Hitomi's thrashing became less violent. She was loosing her energy. Her lungs and body cried out for oxygen. Her stomach muscles tensed as she fought to inhale, but her efforts were useless. Her vision became cloudy and her body seemed to move in slow motion.

_"Van…can you hear me…"_

Hitomi felt her mind retreat into the heat emanating from the feather. There, she found Van, trapped in his own mind, staring in disbelief at the images being showed to him. He was watching himself strangle the woman he loved.

_"Van…"_

_He whirled around and gasped when he saw Hitomi standing behind him. He reached out to touch her, but his hand went right through her._

_'What's happening?'_

_Hitomi looked up at the images Van had been looking at. She was looking at herself through Van's eyes. Her right hand was mangled and the other clung to Van's arm. Her eyes were rolling back into her head and her face had become dangerously pale._

_"I'm dieing…"_

_'No you're not!' He yelled. Hitomi looked at him, defiant as always. 'You just have to fight harder.'_

_She began to cry. "I'm scared, Van. I don't want to die…"_

_'You're not going to die. There has to be another way.'_

_"…Van…I'm getting tired…" she fell to her knees, supporting herself with her hands. Van tried to grab her, but she fell right through his arms._

_He knelt down and noticed that her body was growing more transparent with each passing moment._

_'No, stay with me.__ Hitomi, what do I have to do to stop this?'_

_"…run…when you're free, get as far away as you can…"_

_'What are you talking about? How do I save _you_?'_

_"…run South, Van. There, you'll be safe…"_

_'Don't say that! How can I save you? Tell me…'_

_Hitomi collapsed onto the floor. The moment she made full contact, her body vanished completely. _

_'Come back!'_

_He looked back up at what his eyes showed him._

Hitomi raised her mangled hand, brought her fingertips to her lips, and then touched them to Van's.

_"…I…love…"_

Both her hands dropped to her sides. Her body went still and her eyes fluttered shut. Everything around them was silent. Behind her, the last twinkle of light vanished beneath the horizon, enveloping everyone in darkness. A long while passed before Van finally let his love fall, sinking into the black abyss. He watched her drift away, saw  her hand fly up as if too reach out to him, and then disappear beneath the thick haze that was spilling into the canyon.

When she was out of sight, he turned back towards Calypso, and waited. She looked to two of her Sirens and motioned for them to apprehend Van.

"Take him to the brig. I'll deal with him later."

Van was just cognizant of him being lead away by two pairs of hands. He merely put one foot in front of the other in the direction he was lead. He eventually came to a cell door inside the _Phoenix_, comprised of a small barred window, a slot for food, and a heavy lock. One of the Sirens left his side and pulled out a key. She unlocked the door and held it open for Van to enter. He obediently walked forward and sat on the only piece of furniture available to him, a small, thin cot.

Suddenly, Van felt as if his soul had fallen and dropped back into his body. He barely caught himself before falling to the floor. He looked around, allowing his surroundings to register…he looked down at his hand, flexed it experimentally.

"You're free." said the Siren who was standing in the door way, before promptly slamming it shut.

Van leapt to his feet and ran to the door. He heard the loud click of the lock just prior to his entire body colliding with the metal. He continually beat his fists against it, trying to break it open.

"Open up right now! Calypso!"

He tried to summon his magic, but it would not come. He was too weak. He had used all his energy trying to fight off Calypso…

…trying to keep her from making him…

"Calypso! Get back here! I'm going to kill you!" he screamed in rage.

He pounded on the door, willing it to move, but it wouldn't budge. He was trapped. He looked out of the small barred window. No one was there. He was alone.

"You'll pay for this! Calypso!"

He gripped the bars on the window with his fists and saw the line of blood where Hitomi had cut him.

"…Hitomi…"

She was gone. Hitomi was gone. He had killed her. She did everything she could to stop him, but he overpowered her, and now she was dead. Long after her last breath escaped her body, he held her, dangling her over the edge like a doll, lifeless. She was gone. He took her life away. Hitomi was dead.

He collapsed to the ground, muttered her name for what he felt would be the last time, pressed his head against the cold, stone floor and wept bitterly.

**AN: How depressing, don't you think? And quite long! Well, the secret's out. The person I had been planning to kill was…Hitomi. But, of course, in the next chapter, many more will die too, but Hitomi was the first. Kind of a sad way to go, huh? …You all hate me now, huh? …dodges onslaught of tomatoes   --;  **

**I sure hope you all liked this chapter. I spent almost two strait days of nothing but writing on this. Also, I think I managed to sniff out all the spelling errors. But if you find any, please let me know so I can correct them when I re-post this story.**

**Well, please review! Otherwise, I will think that no one really cares that I killed Hitomi off, and that it was pointless, when really it does have a purpose. Also, there is only ONE MORE CHAPTER, so, this next update will be the last. Then, I can move on to happier things in Flying High. Now, review, and remember, NO PROFANITY PLEASE!!! **

**Thank you!**

**Shout outs:**

**Tonks: I finished _Heritage of Shannara_ and I LOVE IT!!!! I'm going get the previous four books and read them. I CANT WAIT!!!**

**My son: You're dead father misses you a lot!!! But I'm sure you knew that. I'm going to camp next week, Mon. through Fri, I'll be on ****Catalina Island**** (not sure if this is the right spelling). What do you think of this chapter? sigh only one more to go! Oh, I got a fan for my soul room! It's really cool. It's white, and it swivels back and forth! grin I love my little fan!!! It gets hot sometimes in the afterlife…I cleaned my room the other day, and guess what, I still have the toilet paper roll you gave me for my birthday. I love my little toilet paper roll…-- I just now realized I have no life…well, duh, cause I'm dead…whatever…      Love you!**

**Kawaiikel****: Do you feel famous yet?! LOL. So, are you angry? …cowers…do I even want to know the answer to that…**

**Jaa**** mata! **

**Yugismpuzzle**


	18. Tying Up Loose Ends

**AN: Here it is, the FINAL CHAPTER! sniff I never dreamed this day would come…I've been looking forward to writing this chapter for a long time, and now that it's here, I can't believe it!!! THIS IS THE END!!!! WAHHAHAHAHAHA….KYO HIT ME!!!!!...blink wait a minute…wrong cartoon…**

**This chapter would have come out sooner, but I went on a camping trip to a ****B-E-A-UTIFUL****Island**** for this past week with my church group (LDS). It was sooo cool!!! You could actually swim in the water, and there were really big sharks, and I got to go Kayaking in the ocean and ride right over the sharks, and we got to go hiking, and see the fish, and do some hiking, and play at the beach, and a bit more hiking, and we had some ice-cream, and some more hiking…IT WAS GREAT!!! But as soon as I came back, I went strait to this story (after getting some sleep of course. FYI: Sleeping on a bunch of rocks is NOT good for your back) and now, IT'S DONE!!! The rest of my spiel will wait until after the chapter…**

**Reviewers:**

**lil-saturn-goddess****: I'm sorry, I was just joking around. grin Final chapter coming right up!!! And thank you for reading and being patient with my lack of updating…**

**Talum****: Yeah, I know I'm mean to everyone. And I especially am mean to Van…why? Because I'm a sadistic…LOL. Thanks for reading and I hope you like this FINAL chapter!!! Bye!!!**

**Meyojojo****: It's okay to cry, I've actually gotten a lot of that, so, it's okay to cry. Maybe another chapter will make you feel better…OH WAIT, THERE'S ANOTHER CHAPTER RIGHT HERE!!! HA HA!!! grin Hope this makes you happier!!! **

**Kazezero****: Sorry, Hitomi actually DID die. And there's no surviving the fall cause she was already dead by the time Van let her go. aren't I mean? And she didn't die when she got shot, she just passed out. And just a small hint, Van does not save the day. Sorry, but I still hope you like what I'm about to do. Thanks for reading all the way through. LOL, I'm glad it's "mad good".!!! Heh, I like that saying…I hope two weeks was a quick enough update!!! Enjoy!!!!**

**Tramie****: How _is_ Van going to cope with it, well, here's a hint…_he doesn't…_gin But you'll just have to read to see what I mean!!! HA HA!!! Thank you for reading and I hope you like it!!!**

**Brushtail-wolfie****: munches thanks for the Lembas bread…yummm…Well, you've already read the first half of the chapter, and now, FOR THE FINAL SECOND HALF!!! MUAHAHAHAHA…Enjoy!!! Love Always, _Prongs_ **

**The Spiked Dragon: How could I kill Hitomi? BECAUSE IT WAS FUN!!!! MUAHAHAHAHA…And you get a hint, Calypso will _not_ die of a slow and excruciating death. Sooooooorrrry!!! But still, I think you'll like what I do…grin's evilly enjoy!!!**

**Macky****: Don't worry, Merle is still alive…_for now…_ hee hee hee…just read to find out!!! :P **

**Inda****: flinches NO DON'T BLOW _ME_ UP!!! I still have to be in one piece to write Flying High!!! But I think this will be a good ending, but, you'll have to tell me. Thank you for sticking with my story. If I'm recalling correctly, you've been here since the beginning, so, AND EXTRA LARGE AND PAINFULL THANK YOU TO YOU!!! squeezes Inda till she turns purple again… Okay, now read!!! And Enjoy!!!! **

**Gtkvan****: Yup, he is right, I am evil…MUAHAHAHAHA…Oh, I have a question, what does your name mean? I've been trying to guess and the best I can come up with is "Got To Kill Van" but something tells me I'm wrong…what does your name mean? Just curious. Thanks for reading!!!!**

**blonde-hitomi****: Aww…I made you cry?...for some reason, that makes me happy…is that wrong of me? Yeah, I agree I think that was my longest chapter. This one is pretty long too, but, I'll let you be the judge. I hope you like it and that it ends well. Thank you for sticking with me!!! Enjoy!!!**

**Hawaiikel****: LOL, sorry, but Van isn't going to bring Hitomi back, neither is the Atlantis Machine. Although that did sound like a good idea, I didn't want my story to be as predictable as most Esca fics, so, I'm adding LOTS of plot twists. Still, I hope you like how this all ends. I struggled a lot with the ending, like "where do I cut this off…" kind of thing, but, I think I found an okay spot. I hope you enjoy!!! Thanks for reviewing!!!**

**Disclaimer: For the last time, I DID NOT ORDER A GIANT TRAMALINE!!! …wait, wrong movie…clears throat…I do NOT own Escaflowne despite the many times where I call this story "my story"…And I still don't have forty dollars…I only have six sigh…which makes no difference since the store is no longer selling the series!!! frustrated scream**

**Chapter Eighteen: Tying Up Loose Ends**

It didn't take long for Celina to realize that she had lost control, again. Dilandau was now in full control of her body. She could have re-taken possession at any time, but she was curious. She wanted to see what Dilandau would do and how he would react. At the first sign of trouble, she promised herself, she would push him away and take control once again.

By the looks of things, they should be close to wherever the _Phoenix_ landed. But the combination of their high altitude and the failing light made it almost impossible to separate the shadows of the rocks from a human, or a ship, or even the infamous Atlantis Machine.

_"We need to get lower."_ Celina stated.

"Already on it."

Dilandau flexed his heels and the engine shut down. Immediately, the guimelif shot down towards the center of the canyon. The wind whipped his hair around wildly and whistled through the slits in the visor. They fell forever. They were level with the earth for an instant and then continued to fall.

_"Dilandau, stop!"_

"Alright, alright, don't be a nag."

Taking as much time as possible, he slowly pointed his toes down. The engine came on and slowed their descent, yet they fell for almost a half a mile before finally rising back up into the air again. When they came level with the canyon ridge, Dilandau stopped the ascent and began to fly forward once again, following the rim of the East wall.

Minutes passed when Celina saw something through Dilandau's eyes. As they approached, she saw it was a small figure running towards them.

_"It's Merle! Dilandau, stop right now!"_

"No, I don't think so. Take a closer look at your friend, she's pointing back the way she came. She wants us to go there." Suddenly, Dilandau's smile grew wide. "And there's the _Phoenix_!"

Celina could also see it. The large ship was looming out over a layer of fog that obscured any sign of people beneath it.

"This is perfect! Those witches won't even know we're there. They can't see anything through this fog."

_"Neither can we, Dilandau. It's a disadvantage to both parties."_

"Not for long. I'll just burn _everything_!!!"

_"No, we still don't know where Van and Hitomi are. We have to make sure they're safe."_

"They'll just have to stay out of my way then." said Dilandau, devoid of any emotion.

Celina sighed mentally. _"Fine, then I'll just have to take it from here then…"_

Dilandau screamed in fury when he felt her tearing him away and sending him back into the recesses of their shared mind. He fought with everything he had, but he was no match for Celina. Within seconds, she would be back in control and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"Alright! You win! We'll do it your way!"

Celina smiled and released her hold on him.

_"We'll sneak up on them from below the canyon. Do you have a problem with that?"_

She was irritating him and she knew it, but this was the only way she could teach him that this was _her_ body and _she_ was in control, not the other way around.

_"I said do you have a problem with that?"_

"No." he said bitterly.

Immediately they flew lower into the canyon, at least a three quarters of a mile down, hugging the cliff walls as they went. They were forced to slow down because the fog prevented them from seeing anything beyond a few dozen feet. They glided their way onward, careful to avoid rocks that jutted out of the wall. After traveling for some time, Celina began to wonder, how would they know when they reached the leviship? How would she find out where they were without being spotted or heard? What could she…

CLANK

"What the heck!" Dilandau yelped. He stared wide eyed at his visor, the source of the unexpected sound. Celina also looked through Dilandau's eyes to see what had happened, and gasped at what she saw.

A long dagger had embedded itself in one of the holes in the guimelif's visor. Celina recognized it as the very same dagger she had given to Hitomi, for protection.

_"Where did it come from?"_

"I don't know. I think it fell from the top of the ridge. That thing almost gouged my eye out!"

_"Shut up, we need to go back. That might have been Hitomi, trying to get our attention."_

"How could she see us through this thick of a fog?"

_"I don't know and I don't care, just turn around."_

"But how…"

_"Do I need to force you away again?!"_

"No."

_"Then do as I say!"_

With a frustrated cry, Dilandau turned the guimelif around and flew back the way he came. Less than a minute later, he stopped suddenly and hovered.

"Somewhere around here. This is where it came down."

He looked up to where the surface should have been, but only saw a dark blanket of fog cascading down the canyon wall. The sun would set any second. There was hardly any light to see by anymore. Yet they waited, staring above them, looking for…something.

Then, out of the shadows, a shape began to take form. It wasn't a weapon, no, too large to be a weapon. Whatever it was, it was falling fast, and heading strait for the guimelif.

"Oh no you don't."

Dilandau moved the guimelif backwards by a few feet, just in time, as the unknown object pierced through the fog and fell right passed them.

_"That's Hitomi!"_

Dilandau flexed his heals and the guimelif plummeted towards the earth. He looked down and searched for the falling girl.

"I can't see her, stupid fog."

_"Go faster!"_

"I can't!"

Instead, Dilandau pointed his arms towards the darkness and fired his crema claws, each one spreading in the air and taking the form of a net.

_"If you miss, you'll kill her!"_

"If I don't do something, the ground will! Now shut up for a second!"

The crema claws constricted and Dilandau reeled in whatever he might have caught. A second later, they saw the dark form of Hitomi's body slowly come into view. Dilandau pointed his toes back down and they stopped falling. They merely hovered for the moment. He looked at the girl who was wrapped in the silver metal, and frowned.

"I take back what I said earlier, Celina. She's already dead."

_"No…"_

But Celina could clearly see that Dilandau was right. Even in the darkness, she could see that Hitomi wasn't breathing and her skin had turned pale. Her arms, legs, and head hung limply.

Dilandau was just about to ask if it were okay for him to burn everything down, but he already knew the answer to that question. Instead, he turned the guimelif south and flew off as fast as he could, back to where he had spotted Merle. Before Celina had time to ask him what he was doing, Dilandau explained himself.

"She's already dead and you can't get Van without her. So, we'll leave her body with Merle and go back and kill them all. Sound good?"

Celina didn't answer. She didn't even care anymore. Hitomi was dead. The woman she had grown to be close friends with in the past few days was gone. The woman she had always admired from the stories she heard from Allen and Merle was dead. It all felt like a dream…

When they were a good distance away, Dilandau broke through the fog barrier and scanned the ground for any sign of movement. He was surprisingly close to where Merle stood, jumping up and down, waving her arms to get their attention. Dilandau carefully flexed his heals once again, preparing to land. Sand and dust whirled around the guimelif as he settled down. Merle dashed over to them, eagerness mirrored in her eyes. Once the guimelif was settled, Dilandau released Hitomi and withdrew the liquid metal.

Her body fell and hit the ground face down with a soft thud. Merle watched and gasped, ready to yell at Celina for dropping Hitomi, geared up to chastise her for hurting their friend, but none of her thoughts escaped her lips when she saw that Hitomi never got back up again. Merle changed direction and ran to Hitomi's side.

Dilandau opened the cockpit and calmly jumped to the ground. He stepped over to where Merle was turning Hitomi onto her back, to get a better look at her face. As soon as Merle saw her pale features, she leapt backward, frightened.

When Hitomi had failed to get up, Merle had just assumed that Hitomi had been unconscious or sleeping. But she didn't expect her to be…

"…dead?"

"I'm afraid so." Dilandau mocked, not showing any real sympathy.

Merle glared up at him, tears brimmed around her eyes. "Where's Celina?"

"She's letting me take control for now."

"Fine, what happened?!" she demanded.

Dilandau shrugged. "I don't know. We saw her falling of the cliff, so, we caught her and brought her back here. Do _you_ know how she died?"

Merle looked at Hitomi up and down, carefully examining anything that looked out of place. During the Gaean war, Milerna had taught her a lot about medical aid. Doctors had been in short supply, so, Merle served as her personal assistant to the wounded after the final battle. Immediately, she spotted Hitomi's wrist, bent at an angle suggesting it was broken. It was swollen, meaning it had happened while she was still alive. She checked Hitomi's head: no visible damage. She pressed gently against the bottom of her ribcage: intact. Then, she noticed markings on Hitomi's neck.

"What is that?" she asked out loud.

Dilandau kneeled down and looked at where Merle had been pointing. He examined the markings for a while until he recognized them.

"It's a hand."

Merle looked up at him, confused. Dilandau then reached down with his right hand and clasped a hold of her neck. The markings fit almost perfectly.

"She was strangled." Dilandau announced before standing up again.

Merle bent down and cried despairingly into Hitomi's stomach. In her mind, she imagined herself running away, exactly what Hitomi had told her to do, while the Sirens restrained her. She imagined Calypso coming forward and squeezing the life out of her…while Merle had been running away, leaving her behind to die…

Then, a memory returned to her. The first time Hitomi had come to Gaea, she had died. Merle was there when Van managed to bring her back. Merle remembered how frightened she was. Merle had held Hitomi's hand the entire time. She recalled how cold it was…

…but Hitomi wasn't as cold as she was last time…and she wasn't stiff…which means…

Merle leapt back up, putting her hands where she remembered Van had, and began to compress. Dilandau turned around when Merle suddenly stopped wailing and looked at the girl in newfound confusion.

"Now what are you doing?"

"I'm trying to save her, just like Van did the last time this happened."

Dilandau's eyes narrowed. "Merle, that only works if the person _recently_ died. She could have died an hour ago."

"She's only been gone a couple minutes. We can still save her!"

"How could you know that?"

"I just do!" she screamed.

Dilandau rolled his eyes at the little girl, desperately pushing against the dead woman's stomach. He turned around, not really caring about the outcome, but then Celina came back into his mind.

_"You know how to save her!"_

"I never said that."

_"But I can sense it from you. If you can save her then I suggest you do it, now!"_

Dilandau growled in anger before whirling back around. He grabbed the cat-girl by the shoulder and pushed her away, taking her place.

"You're doing it all wrong!" he complained.

He turned Hitomi's head back, opened her mouth so her chin pointed up, overlapped his hands, placing the heal of his hand at the bottom of her sternum, and compressed several inches. He released and pushed again, and again, counting to himself as he did so. Merle had taken her place on Hitomi's other side, holding her hand, just as she had done last time.

Dilandau stopped and leaned forward. He clamped her nose shut, holding her chin in his other hand, and blew into her mouth. Merle was about to protest. She didn't remember this happening last time, but then she saw Hitomi's chest rise. Dilandau broke away, took another breath, and blew again. This time, Merle noted the hollow sound of the air entering Hitomi's empty lungs. He retreated back and began compressing again, this time, counting softly out loud.

"…one-one thousand…two-one thousand…three-one thousand…"

Merle held Hitomi's hand to her furry face. It was still cold, but not as cold as last time, she told herself. There was still a chance…

Dilandau breathed air into Hitomi's lungs again, causing them to rise, only to be compressed once more.

"Come on Hitomi…come back…" Merle chanted.

"She can't hear you."

"Shut up and keep breathing!" she snapped.

For the next two agonizing minutes, Dilandau continued the pattern of compressing the woman's lower sternum and breathing into her lungs. He was growing weary from the effort. His breath was now coming in short gasps and his face and arms were glistening in perspiration.

"This…isn't…going…to…work…" he gasped in between compressions.

"Yes it will, keep going!" Merle whined.

"Oh yeah, how about _you_ do this, and _I'll_ sit around and do nothing!" he yelled. "If she doesn't breathe after this, I'm done. This was a stupid idea in the first place."

Merle's stomach muscles constricted. _'Come on, Hitomi, open your eyes! Please, you're running out of time!'_

For the last time, Dilandau plugged Hitomi's nose shut and blew into her mouth. Merle watched Hitomi's chest, waiting for it to rise again, but it didn't. There was no hollow sound of traveling air either. She had gone stiff. Dilandau pulled away suddenly when her body gave a violent jerk.

Her eyes snapped open in fear as she took one long, rattling breath.

"Finally!" Dilandau declared before falling on his back, resting his tired arms.

Hitomi curled to her side, coughing deeply, and gasping for air. Merle was overjoyed. She grabbed Hitomi and held her close, rocking back and fourth, soothing her friend as much as herself.

"Second time's the charm!" she cried.

"Let's not…go for three…" Hitomi choked.

Merle laughed as tears of joy fell from her eyes. Minutes passed and Hitomi managed to gain her bearings, enough to sit up on her own. She winced when she accidentally put weight on her right hand. She carefully cradled it in her other arm.

"What happened?" Hitomi croaked.

By this time, Dilandau was standing up, his arms crossed, looking indifferent. "We found you flying down the canyon. We brought you back here where Merle thought she could play doctor."

"Shut up!" Merle screamed angrily. "I was trying to save her life."

"But in the end, _you_ couldn't do it."

"You didn't even let me try."

"If _I_ hadn't been here, she would _still_ be six feet under."

Merle leapt to her feet, shaking her fist in anger. "Why you…"

"Its okay, Merle." Hitomi said, soothingly. She looked back at Dilandau. "Thank you."

He turned around, walking back to his guimelif, "Whatever."

He only managed to take a few steps before he whirled around and ran towards Hitomi. The red eyes had disappeared, replaced by shimmering blue ones. Celina scooped Hitomi into her arms and held her tight, sobbing.

"I thought you were gone for good."

Hitomi returned the embrace using her good arm. "I almost was."

Celina pulled away, tears evident but determination was dominating. "I swear, Calypso will pay!"

Hitomi looked down, avoiding Celina and Merle's eyes. "It wasn't Calypso." The two exchanged confused looks. "It was Van. She made him do it."

"What?!" they cried in unison.

Instantly, all the anger and hatred that Merle had been hiding came bursting out. "I don't care what Phoebe says, I'm going to rip that woman's face off." She turned towards the _Phoenix_. "DO YOU HEAR ME CALYPSO?! I'M GOING TO RIP OUT YOUR THROAT!!!"

"Why does she do this?" Celina asked, unable to believe a human being capable of such an act.

Hitomi scooped sand into her left hand and squeezed, vending her frustrations. "She's insane! She likes seeing others suffer. She doesn't care who gets hurt, as long as she gets what she wants, and what she wants is Van!" she violently tossed the sand into the air, watching it fall to the ground and the dust blow away in the wind. "I'm going to get him back, no matter what."

After she made her declaration, she suddenly felt her fatigue catch up with her. Two days strait of almost no sleep, and then dieing completely, had taken its toll. She needed rest and she knew better than to argue with her own body.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm leaving again, and I'm not coming back without Van."

"Not without me your not." Merle stated matter-of-factly.

Celina nodded. "Me too! But, won't they be looking for us now?"

Merle laughed. "Calypso thinks we're dead! If anything, her guard will be completely down. Tomorrow is the best time to take revenge."

"Thanks guys." Hitomi smiled.

With the help of Merle and Celina, they were able to make a splint out of some small branches of a dead tree and some torn fabric from the end of Merle's cloak. Celina set her hand back in position, earning a pain filled yelp from Hitomi, and applied the splint. That night, the three of them made a makeshift shelter under the cloak of Celina's guimelif. They huddled close, keeping warm in the desert's cold night air. They slept well with the promise of tomorrow.

It was a wonderful day for Calypso Siren. Everything was moving ahead of schedule. The trip to Dragon's Canyon had taken slightly longer than expected, but finding the Machine…

She hadn't expected to find until after several days of thorough searching, but they had spotted the cave entrance while still in the air. They landed on the opposite side of the Canyon so she could get a good look at the outside of the cave. It was too late in the day to explore the contents of the cavern, so, she settled for a distant look at it. It was beautiful. In less than twenty four hours, she would be in possession of the last Atlantis Machine on both Gaea and the Mystic Moon. It was a perfect day. Even without her encounter with two of her biggest headaches, the day could not be spoiled. The seeress was dead, the cat-girl would die in a few hours, either from the cold or the hot sun, and Van's spirit had finally been broken.

She hadn't been able to do it alone, of course. Calypso had grown overconfident in her abilities as a Siren, and because of that, Van was able to weaken her severely. She didn't ask for help because she didn't want to be viewed as weak in front of her charges. But in the end, they proved their loyalty. They channeled their strength into her, allowing her to command one last order to her man: kill the woman he loved.

Calypso smiled at the memory. She was now free of him, locked away where he couldn't escape, no longer possessing any will to fight. He wanted to die, she had sensed before relinquishing her hold on him. But she would not kill him. She would make him live with his misery.

After all, she thought, what better torture could she come up with?

Yes, it was a wonderful day!

Van sat on the cold floor, his back against the wall, staring empty eyed at the air in front of him. He was living in a nightmare he hoped he wouldn't survive. He had lost everything! His kingdom was no longer under his control. Merle was alone, wandering the desert, either dead or dieing. Hitomi was dead. It was entirely his fault. They had come to rescue him, but now, they were gone.

He was the one to blame. If it weren't for him, none of this would have happened. Merle had cared for him too much to leave him alone. She would have done anything to try and help him, and that's what caused her demise. Hitomi had trusted him. She believed in him, and he let her down. She thought he would fight off the spell, but he didn't.

_'I should have fought harder. I should have fought till I died! At least she would be safe right now…_

_…I let her down…I killed her…_

_…it's my fault…'_

Van looked down at his hands. He wished he had his sword with him. He wanted to cut them off as punishment for what they had done. He began to focus his frustrations on his hands.

_'How could you do that to her?!__ Why didn't you listen to me?! YOU KILLED HER!!!'_

He saw the cut that Hitomi had caused him, cursed to himself that she should have cut deeper.

He remembered the dagger she had produced. He wished he hadn't caught it. He wished she had plunged the blade deep into his now shattered heart. But he had caught her wrist before she could do anything. His entire hand circled her thin wrist and he had shattered it so easily!

_'How could you do such a thing?!'___

For a moment, he had even held the blade in his hands. He could have stabbed himself then, but his hands refused.

_'Why didn't you listen to me?!__ WHY?!'_

He threw his hands into the air and raged them down onto the metal ground. Needle sharp pain shot through his hands and up his arms. He didn't even wince.

_'Not enough…nowhere near enough…'_

Van took a deep breath and searched within him for any magic left to him. He searched and searched until he found remote traces of it, stored away. But would it be enough?

He summoned it anyway, all that remained to him. It was a dangerous move, without his magic, he ran the risk of killing himself…but that was the whole point. He felt it gather at the surface, willing it to tear his limbs apart. With any luck, the blow wouldn't kill him immediately. With any luck, he'd bleed to death in agony first.

He released the remainder of his magic set it loose within himself, feeling the fiery chains pull and tear at him, flames ripping at his flesh.

Despite himself, he cried out into the night before collapsing and going still…

The sun rose brightly in the morning, pouring light into every crevice in Dragon's Canyon. Only seconds passed before the heat came with it. Hitomi now knew why Dragon's Canyon was deserted. It was too hot! She longed for the brief time the night before where she had been cold and sought after warmth, but now, she ached for last night's blanket of fog. But she did her best not to let the sweltering heat bother her.

They had a problem. When Hitomi, Merle, and Celina had awoken that morning, the _Phoenix_ was already in the air and flying away. It moved to the opposite side of the canyon. When Celina wondered aloud why the Siren's were moving the ship, Hitomi and Merle could only offer speculation.

"When I first saw Calypso, she was looking in that direction. Maybe she thinks that's a good place to start looking for the Atlantis Machine." Hitomi offered.

Merle nodded in agreement. "I agree. I didn't get a chance to hear anything, but Calypso did seem eager when she looked over there yesterday."

Celina scowled. "Still, we're going to have to fly over there, but it's risky to do it in broad daylight. It's too easy to spot a guimelif flying across a canyon. It would be safer to do it at night."

"No, we have to get Van out today. Couldn't we fly back down south, circle around when we're far enough, and then come back?"

Celina nodded. "It'll take longer, but yes, that could work."

"Then that's what we'll do."

They set out immediately in Celina's guimelif. Hitomi and Merle rode on the melif's shoulders as they traveled their three hour trek down, around, and back up the canyon. They kept close to the canyon wall as the approached the _Phoenix_, taking cover under the ridge line. When they were about a half a mile away, Celina set the guimelif down on the ground and quickly activated the stealth cloak, making the three of them invisible. Then, they waited. Celina occasionally took a step forward, careful to wait for any sign that one of the Siren's heard the giant mecha's footstep. They managed to sneak a third of a mile towards the leviship before Celina deemed the approach too risky to continue. The three women stayed hidden beneath the cloak for a few extra minutes, going over their plan.

Hitomi and Merle were going to sneak aboard the _Phoenix_ once they were sure most of the Siren's were not aboard. They would find Van, knock him unconscious if he was still under Calypso's spell, and bring him back to the guimelif. If they ran into any Siren's along the way, they'd kill them. Celina would stay with her guimelif, hidden under the stealth cloak, where she would wait to pick them up again for a quick escape. They had decided that someone would have to remain behind with the guimelif to remove the cloak; otherwise, they wouldn't know where to run back to.

When they were all agreed, the three women wished each other luck before Hitomi and Merle dashed out from under the cloak, keeping close to the ground, and ran towards the _Phoenix_. Merle led the way, her ears and eyes being sharper than Hitomi's, and able to get them to a less noticeable area. They occasionally hid behind large rocks to catch their breath before starting off again.

They reached the _Phoenix_, picking a small boulder and dead shrubbery to hide behind, about twenty meters away from the only entrance. They watched through the dead twigs as several Siren's came and left the ship, some disappearing into the canyon where they had apparently found a safe path down, and some returning to the leviship. They waited several minutes after the last Siren had disappeared before Hitomi decided to try to board, but just as she was about to stand up, another woman came out of the ship, followed soon after by two more.

It was decided that Merle would sneak onto the ship first and when the coast was clear, she'd signal Hitomi to run aboard. Merle ran from the safety of the bush, so silently that Hitomi almost didn't know she had left, and hid under the ramp which was used to enter and exit the ship. While they both waited, Hitomi self-consciously checked to see that her cloak was securely wrapped about her. She almost laughed when she saw Merle make a gesture to suggest she had done the same. And then she was gone. In the blink of an eye, Merle dashed silently up the ramp and disappeared into the ship. As soon as her furry tail had hidden from view, two Siren's appeared out of the canyon and boarded the ship. Hitomi waited several minutes as Siren's entered or left the ship, transporting small boxes, papers, or messages to whoever was in the canyon below. She waited a long time, and while doing so, noticed that more Siren's seemed to be leaving the ship than entering it. Neither Calypso, Van, nor Phoebe had made an appearance.

Hitomi thought it was possible that all the Sirens were moving to the bottom of the canyon and that eventually, the ship would be empty. If Van wasn't on the ship, her plan was doomed. It would be impossible to follow the Siren's into the canyon without being spotted, let alone getting the chance to find Van and rescue him. She didn't want to wait another day and leave him under Calypso's control. Maybe they could ambush the Siren's at night…

Merle's hand appeared at the entrance, waving for Hitomi to hurry inside. As quickly as she was able, Hitomi ran from her refuge, up the ramp, and down the corridor, following closely behind Merle. The cat-girl opened a random door and motioned Hitomi inside. Once the door was shut, they both sat with their backs to the wall, gasping for air.

"Merle, I was thinking," Hitomi whispered, "What if Van isn't on the ship. He might be down in the canyon."

"Don't worry. I did a little eavesdropping while I waited. Lord Van is on this ship. I just don't know where."

Relief swept over Hitomi At least she didn't have to wait another day. So far, everything was going as planned.

"As far as I know," Merle continued quietly, "there are only a couple Siren's left on the ship. The rest are in a cave along the canyon wall. Hitomi, I think they've already found where the Atlantis Machine is."

Hitomi's eyes grew wide. "We're running out of time. Phoebe's probably already down there, getting ready to blow that thing. It could go off right now while we're still looking for Van."

"Well then, let's hurry up and get him out of here."

They stood back up and crept out of the door. Hitomi followed closely behind Merle, careful to remain as quite as possible. She watched as Merle's ears pricked every now and then, sensitive to every noise in the large vessel. Occasionally, she'd stop completely or put her head close to a door, listening for the sound of breathing or footsteps. They searched the entire floor with no luck until they decided to move one floor up.

This time, they only ran into one Siren, whom they avoided easily. They kept at it for a long while, but they couldn't find anyone. Floor by floor, they made their way up the ship until they were just below the bridge. Hitomi and Merle began to despair. They had looked everywhere they could think of but there was no sign of Van and they were running out of places to continue searching.

"I don't think he's up there." Merle whispered. "We're stuck."

Hitomi sighed. "Maybe we missed a turn. I'm so turned around in this ship, we might have left out a section."

"Maybe." She said doubtfully. "But I suppose it's worth another try. I'm sure he's here…somewhere."

Merle looked up as her ears detected a new sound. Hitomi also looked up, but couldn't sense anything.

"Something just happened up there."

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure, but whatever it is, someone's leaving the bridge…" she paused a moment and her ears gave another twitch. "…someone's coming!"

The two of them dashed into a nearby room and shut the door quietly behind them. Not even a moment later, Hitomi heard footsteps from a stairwell as someone left the bridge. They walked right past their door, and Hitomi held her breath when she saw the shadow move across the crack of light from under the door. Then the shadow stopped. Whoever was out there was standing just outside the door Hitomi and Merle happened to be propped up against. Hitomi's heart leapt when she saw the door handle turn with a squeak. She impulsively reached down to her boot to grab her dagger, only to find that it wasn't there. Instead, Merle grabbed hers and held it protectively in front of her. The door opened and Merle leapt forward, the sharp edge of the blade aimed for the Siren's chest, but the woman caught the blow easily as Merle squealed in surprise.

"Phoebe!" The Siren smiled and released the cat-girl's wrist. "I could have killed you!"

"Not likely." Phoebe looked down at Hitomi in mild surprise. "Come back from the dead, Hitomi?"

"Hopefully for the last time." She answered. Phoebe offered a hand and helped Hitomi off the floor. "Where's Van."

"Still searching for him, are you?"

"No more games, Phoebe." Merle yelled. "Where's Lord Van?" Hitomi put her hand over Merle's mouth and told her to shush.

"Don't worry," Phoebe reassured. "There are only two Siren's left on the ship, including myself. The other one is downstairs, keeping an eye on Van."

Merle's eyes narrowed. "What about the one upstairs? I heard two people up there a moment ago. One was you…"

"I took care of it." She snapped before turning back to Hitomi. "Didn't I tell you not to come? I can't look after you. The both of you should leave now, before I start…"

"I'm not leaving without Van." Hitomi said stubbornly.

"He thinks you're dead. Do you really think he'll trust himself to go with you?"

She hesitated, thinking vaguely that if she were in Van's position, she wouldn't trust herself either. "I don't know, but I have to try. I'm not leaving here without him."

"He might try and kill you again, thinking you're one of Calypso's tricks."

"I don't care."

Both pairs of eyes bore into each other. They challenged each with battling determination until Phoebe relented.

"Alright, I'll take you to him."

She motioned for them to follow her and they obeyed. A minute later, Merle sniffed the air and caught Hitomi's eye.

"Blood." She whispered.

Phoebe turned her head back slightly without slowing down. "I told you already, I took care of it."

Hitomi's eyes shined in surprise at the realization of Phoebe's words.

Merle and Hitomi followed Phoebe down the ship. Floor by floor, they descended until they were back where they had started. They continued walking down a hallway, and then they turned right, then right again, left, strait, and stopped at a wall. Phoebe pushed hard against the wall until they heard a click. A square section of the wall came forward about an inch before Phoebe easily slid it away. Beyond the door was a spiral staircase that went down into a hidden floor of the ship.

"Wait here." Phoebe said before descending the metal stairs, her desert cloak flowing neatly behind her.

They listened carefully to the sounds of her footsteps until she reached the bottom. They heard the echo of voices from below as words were exchanged between two people, and then, one of them went silent with a soft thud. Hitomi took one guess as to what had happened below. No more Siren's on this ship, Merle mused.

Phoebe reappeared from the depths and beckoned Hitomi and Merle to follow. They eagerly went down the steps, no longer afraid of making too much noise. When they were at the bottom, they were in a small rectangular room with another door at the opposite end. On the door was a single barred window, revealing another room where light flooded in from the outside. Hitomi looked around and saw another Siren slumped against her chair, a steady drip of blood pooling onto the floor. Hitomi avoided looking at the woman and instead looked at Phoebe who held a large ring with a single silver key hanging from it.

"He's in there." She pointed to the opposite door and tossed Merle the key. "Before you go in there, you should know, he tried to kill himself last night."

Hitomi gasped and ran to the door, using her good hand to pull her face up to the small rectangular window. She saw a small empty cot against the wall, above which was a long window, metal bars crisscrossed all along the rim. She looked down and saw a pair of legs sticking out.

"Van, is that you?"

No response.

"Van, answer me!"

His boot twitched slightly and went still again. Merle tapped Hitomi on the arm.

"Do you want to open it?"

"Not yet." She whispered. She didn't want to let Van out until he knew she was real. "Van, listen to my voice. Who am I?"

His legs moved again, however slowly. He finally stood up and faced the door where Hitomi could see that Van's eyes were closed. He seemed to be sleepwalking. Hitomi looked back at Phoebe.

"What's wrong with him? Why won't he answer?"

"It's a rare side-affect of the Siren's song which only occurs to people who've been in a traumatizing situation, like he has. Basically, he's living in a dreamlike state where he doesn't know what's real anymore," she explained. "Or he doesn't want to know." Phoebe added as though that were her professional opinion.

"How do I get him out of it?"

"You'll have to bring him back to reality. Make him see what's real."

Hitomi looked back through the window and gazed hard at the man in front of her. She knew what he was going through and it was too painful to bear. She knew she had to bring him back, but how was she to do that without hurting him? He would never believe that she was Hitomi. He wouldn't allow himself to fall for another trick. There was only one way…

"Van, listen to me! You have to wake up, right now. Don't just stand there and do nothing. Fight whatever it is that's going on inside you. Are you just going to let Calypso win? The Van I know would never back down."

"…I couldn't do it…" he mumbled.

"You can do it!"

"…I couldn't save her…"

Hitomi frowned in confusion. "Who couldn't you save?"

Van fell to his knees and grabbed at his head in anguish. "Hitomi…I couldn't save her…"

"Van, I'm right here!"

"NO!" he roared.

"Let me try," Merle mumbled before pushing Hitomi out of the way. "Lord Van, listen to me right now! You killed Hitomi!"

"Merle!" Hitomi hissed, but the cat-girl ignored her.

"You killed her, okay? You broke her wrist, strangled her, and threw her over a cliff! Understand?!"

These words seemed to reach Van. He was frozen solid, and although they couldn't see his face, he seemed to be hanging onto every word.

"I know you didn't want to and you fought as hard as you could, but guess what? You're not responsible. So, stop beating yourself up, Lord Van and look! Hitomi is right here. She's okay, but you have to look at her!"

Before Hitomi could protest, Merle unlocked the door and swung it open. By the time it was open, Van was back on his feet, eyes wide open and alert. His eyes met Hitomi's and they immediately filled with fear.

"Hitomi…"

She took two steps forward, wanting to reassure him that everything was okay, but he stepped away from her.

"Don't come near me." He barked. "I'll hurt you again."

He wasn't threatening her. He was afraid of what he might unintentionally do.

"Van, you're free…"

"You don't know that!"

She ignored his last outburst and ran to him, holding him tightly. He almost tried to push her away, but without even thinking about it, he returned the embrace. She started trembling as tears formed around her eyes.

"Van, please don't leave me…"

So great was his astonishment that she was alive and he was holding her that Van was unable to speak. He shifted his arms to hold her more securely. As he did so, he winced as an intense pain shot up each arm. He failed to hide it from Hitomi and she pulled away to see what was wrong. Her breath caught in her chest when she saw twin jagged stripes running the length of Van's arms, dried blood forming around the edges, some of which were leaking because his movement had re-opened them.

Hitomi gingerly held one of Van's arms, inspecting the flesh wound. She immediately thought they came from some sort of punishment by the Sirens, until she noticed that the wounds seemed to originate from his hands. Silently, she examined his hand and saw that the majority of it was black and blue. She looked down at the ground and to the right where she saw the remains of blood stained on the floor. She knew then that his wounds were self-inflicted. This was how he had tried to kill himself, she realized.

She took one shuddering breath before whispering, "You didn't have to do this."

"I deserved it for what I did." He said coldly.

"You didn't do anything."

Van reached down and carefully picked up Hitomi's right hand, fingering the splint wrapped around it. She saw his eyes wander for a moment to her neck where he saw dark patches where his hand had been.

"I did." His voice broke and Hitomi held onto him once again.

Van saw behind Hitomi where Merle was standing in the doorway, tears of joy saturating her eyes. Behind her, he noticed a familiar face. Phoebe stood just behind Merle, a soft smile on her face. He locked eyes with her.

"She must pay for what she's done."

A nod of understanding passed between them. "I'll make sure of it." Then she vanished into the shadows.

Hitomi pulled away, remembering that she had precious little time left.

"Van, we have to get out of here, right now, before the Atlantis Machine blows."

The two of them silently decided to swallow all their questions and concentrate on staying alive. But before they could make it out the door, a flying ball of fur collided into Van's chest, sending him down into his cot.

"Lord Van, I was so worried! I'm so glad you're okay!"

Van smiled weakly and looked up at Hitomi before petting the small girl on the head. He pulled Merle up to her feet and followed Hitomi out of his cell and through the catacombs of the ship.

Phoebe left the reunited couple alone and exited the _Phoenix_. She walked alone down the path of Dragon's Canyon to where she knew the Atlantis Machine had already been found.

_'Time to fulfill my destiny…'_

She had been waiting for this moment for years, and now that it was finally here, she felt the comings of nervousness and apprehension grasp at her. Thoughts such as "What if this doesn't work" and "Maybe there's another way" plagued her mind, but she never faltered. She marched down the rocky path with the air of someone important who had someplace to be.

_'I do have a place to be' _she mused. _'I have a double date with revenge and destiny.'_

Phoebe knew that she would be dead within the next few minutes, so, she prepared her mind and body for what she was about to do. She recalled the final words of her best friend as she lay suffering, dieing at the hand of Calypso.

_"…Please…don't let it happen…"_

Phoebe vowed it wouldn't. The second Atlantis Machine would never be used again after this day. Never again will Gaea or the Mystic Moon be threatened by this infamous machine.

_"…pr…ect the jewel…"_

She reached up and padded the pendant that lay concealed beneath her desert garb. Yes, she had found the jewel and she protected it. Now, she was going to use it against Calypso. The one thing Calypso had dedicated her life to will be her undoing.

_"The Queen has betrayed us!"_

Yes, she had. And once all of the Siren's are dead, including her daughter, the Queen will have to give up her country. Every powerful Siren in Circe was here in Dragon's Canyon, and in a few minutes, they would all be dead. The Queen would never be able to launch an attack or sway any country to her aid with only a few meager beginner Sirens. Yes, this would mark the end of the reign of the Siren's. This would be the end of Circe.

Phoebe reached the cave entrance where three Siren's stood outside. Each one of them acknowledged Phoebe with a nod, which she returned. But for some reason, in Phoebe's mind, she went over their names, memorizing them, engraving their faces into her memory.

_'Isabelle, Jenn, Monica…' _

She wondered why she felt she needed to remember these people. They had been responsible for ruining so many lives, forcing nearby countries to give up land, recourses, anything Circe needed. So why should Phoebe care about them? Perhaps, she pondered, she felt urged to remember them because she would be responsible for killing them. She was going to take many lives this day, and perhaps many more if the repercussions are severe enough.

Phoebe passed through the entrance and followed the line of torches that lit the cave. Its snakelike walls were enormous; large enough for a fleet of guimelifs to travel comfortably through. Indeed, it probably took many guimelifs to build the Machine in the first place.

As she continued to travel deeper into the cave, she passed more of her fellow Sirens, and just as before, she memorized their faces and names. The more she did so, the heavier she felt her body become. With each name and face, she could feel the physical weight of responsibility fall on her because she knew she was going to take away that person's life. In her mind, she felt they deserved it and by killing them, she is saving this world from more suffering. But a life was a life, and she was going to take away them all. She passed by one girl, no more than thirteen years old, yet skilled in the art of the Siren's song. Her life would be taken too, although Phoebe knew her to be a sweet, kindhearted girl, she knew the girl, Nita, was too devoted to Calypso to ever leave her side.

Phoebe burned the memory of Nita into her mind.

Minutes passed as Phoebe traversed inside the catacombs of the cave, seeming to last for hours, until she finally reached her destination. A large circular disk lay engraved against the wall; pictures of Draconians flying around a grand, prosperous city made what lay beyond the door seem like a gift rather than a curse. At the bottom was a separate rectangular engraving where an old wooden door kept the room locked away from the outside world. Standing outside this door was a single woman.

"Hello Jane, I need to speak with Princess Calypso." Phoebe said calmly as she walked towards the woman.

Jane took a single step forward, "Phoebe, you know Calypso doesn't want…"

A flash of metal whirled out of Phoebe's cloak and embedded itself in Jane's stomach. Her eyes were wide as the panic of incoming death began to claim her. Her knees began to collapse on her but Phoebe's blade held her upright. She opened her mouth to speak as a stream of blood escaped the corners of her mouth.

"…You're…the…traitor…"

Unflinching, Phoebe removed her blade as Jane's body fell. She was dead before she hit the floor. Phoebe stepped over her body, pulled hard against the metal bolt until she herd the clank of the door unlock, and pushed. When she was inside, she quickly shut the door again and locked it from the inside. No one else would ever enter this room.

"Jane, I told you I didn't want to be disturbed."

Phoebe silently turned around. She was inside a giant dome. The Machine towered above her, almost reaching the ceiling. Tentacles extended from the Machine and drew power from pink stones that lined the walls. Energists. Dragon's Canyon was full of them. It was the perfect power source. Calypso stood next to the Machine, her back to the door, prepping the Machine and checking on its power levels. Hitomi's pendant was hanging from a lever on the Machine, just to the right of Calypso.

"When I need you I'll call for you, Jane." Calypso yelled, annoyed.

Phoebe looked down at her blade, still dripping with Jane's blood. As a rush of determination swept over her, she tossed the blade into the air, caught it at the hilt, and hurled it at the small pink jewel. The blade pierced through the pendant, shattering it instantly, mixing stone and blood together, as it imbedded itself into the Machine's metallic hull. Calypso flinched away as a few bloodied shards hit her face. She whirled around angrily and looked surprised at Phoebe.

"That was for Cassandra."

Calypso narrowed her eyes for a moment. "I should have known _you_ were the traitor."

"And you should have known that I wouldn't let _you_ get away with what you did."

Calypso grinned. "So you've come to take revenge for my killing her."

"That's right."

She let out a hollow laugh. "You forget, Phoebe. As your superior, not only do have power over men but I hold power over _you_ as well."

Calypso thrust her arms forward as Phoebe felt an invisible force ram into her with the strength of a raging bull. She slid across the floor on her back until she collided with the roughly cut wall.

"How dare you think that you can mess up _my_ plans?"

The same invisible force picked Phoebe up at the throat, leaving her kicking wildly in the air, grasping at a hand that wasn't there. She gagged and choked, fighting to stay conscious.

"Did you really think I would let you get away with it?"

The hand vanished and Phoebe fell several feet till her legs collapsed under her weight. Fire erupted from no where and consumed her legs, slowly traveling up to her torso, arms, and face. The flames existed only in her mind, but the pain was real and she could hear the roaring. It wasn't until the fire was extinguished that she realized the roaring of the fire was her own tortured screams. Phoebe curled into a ball, feeling the dampness of blood all over her. Even pain inside the mind has effects on the body. She felt her strength leave her as her own blood escaped her body. She had to hurry.

Phoebe rested her head against the cold stone floor and stared at Calypso who was several yards away, utter loathing and anger written all over her face. The jewel was gone, her plans ruined. She'd make Phoebe pay for what she had done.

"Now I'm going to destroy you just as I did to your pathetic little friend. You'll be joining Cassandra soon enough."

Just as Calypso raised her arms for one final attack, Phoebe reached inside her shirt and pulled out the pendant, its fierce pink light shining brightly. Calypso recognized it immediately and looked on in fear.

"_You'll_ be joining us as well." Phoebe spat.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

Calypso ran towards the fallen woman, screaming in rage, furry, and panic.

Phoebe closed her eyes and saw Cassandra's smiling face, cheering her on, beckoning for her to come…

"I wish…"

When the explosion went off, Merle, Hitomi, and Van clasped their hands over their ears in an effort to muffle its intensity. Celina, who was flying the guimelif as fast as she could, could only wince and grit her teeth at the noise. By that time, they were several miles from the _Phoenix_, but the explosion was unlike anything they had ever seen. A dome of fire raged over the horizon behind them, reaching out in all directions, throwing rocks, boulders, and bones careening in all directions. Merle, Hitomi, and Van gazed in awe as the dome sped in their direction.

"Faster, Celina! Faster!" Merle screamed.

"I can't! This is as fast as I can go!"

The dome gained on them and was already less than a mile away, throwing debris in all directions. When several pieces collided with the guimelif, Merle hugged closer to the guimelif's chest while Van pulled Hitomi down from the Armor's shoulders and shielded her against the flying rubble.

"What's going on? I'm losing power!" Celina screamed above the roar of the explosion.

"Just keep flying!" Van answered.

When the shockwave was less than a half a mile away, it began to dissipate. The flying matter fell to the ground and the large wind of dust and sand cleared up and returned to the desert it once came. Rocks fell from the sky, some the size of small carriages, but none seemed to endanger the guimelif. When the majority of the dust was clear, Merle pointed to the sky and yelled.

"Look, there's a light!"

Van and Hitomi looked at it too. It was a small silver light, floating down from the sky, heading directly for the guimelif.

"Should we run from it?" Merle asked.

"Not a chance." Celina answered. "We're going to have to land while I make some repairs."

Celina made a decent to the ground as the other three kept their eyes on the light, as it continued to follow them. By the time they landed, the light was upon them and hovering directly above Hitomi. She reached up to touch it when the light was extinguished and a necklace fell into her outstretched arms. When she looked at it, she recognized it immediately. It was Phoebe's pendant. The pink stone had lost its color and become a brilliant white. All its magical properties had been drained away. Hitomi put it on and tucked it safely under her shirt.

_'Thank you, Phoebe.'_

They had landed along the border of Dragon's Canyon and the edge of the northern forests. Grass crept down a slope and reached out like fingers across the wasteland before turning brown and dieing altogether. Small trees lay scattered across the area where their mothers stood tall and protective in the distance. When Celina announced that repairs were going to take at least two hours, Merle made herself comfortable in the shade of the kneeling guimelif while Van and Hitomi walked off together to get some privacy, and sat at the base of a young sapling. She sat with his arms enfolded around her as she leaned against his chest.

They spoke for a long while, filling in the time gaps of the past week, discovering what had really happened to each other. Hitomi told him of the tree house they had stayed in while hiding from the Sirens, her encounters with Phoebe and why she turned traitor to Circe, and how he had managed to break free of Calypso's spell momentarily at the Market. She told him how she and Merle snuck aboard the _Phoenix_ to try and rescue him, how after their encounter in Dragon's Canyon, Merle and Celina (also known as Dilandau) were able to bring her back, and how they had planned to go get him for the second time.

Van had a more difficult time telling his version of events, especially the parts that concerned him hurting Hitomi or when Calypso had kissed him. But Hitomi only reassured him that everything was fine, and he was able to stumble through his retelling. He was surprised to feel relieved after he had told her everything, even the reasons as to why he tried to kill himself. All he knew was that there were no secrets between them and that everything was okay again.

They were silent for a while, mostly because of exhaustion rather than lack of anything to say. Hitomi found herself glancing at the wounds on Van's arms and hands. She felt guilty that he had endured so much pain for her, but he had already told her that they didn't hurt anymore, which, of course, she didn't believe for a second. She'd just make sure he got the help he needed when they returned to Fanelia.

Van fingered the splint on Hitomi's arm. Through the cracks of the torn fabric which held the brace together, he saw the markings of bruising along her wrist. He held onto her hand, gently stroking it with his thumb as if by doing so, he could take away the pain. He too found himself glancing at Hitomi's neck where spots were more evident in the sunlight. He fought to look away and decided to follow her line of sight.

Van caught her gazing up at the Mystic Moon and he sighed sadly.

"I'll understand if you want to go back. You'll be safer there…"

"Van," she interrupted, "I left my home because I wanted to be with you." she put a hand on his cheek. "I'm staying right here."

Van smiled softly as a mixture of emotions flashed in his eyes. "I don't deserve you."

Hitomi reached her good arm around his neck and pulled him close. "Maybe I'm exactly what you deserve."

He closed the gap and kissed her softly on the lips.

They heard muffled giggles and broke away in time to see Merle dash behind the guimelif. Even Celina was suppressing a smile while avoiding their eyes.

Van smiled and looked down at the woman in his arms.

"You want to know the first thing I'm going to do once we get back to Fanelia?"

"What's that?" she smiled.

"Get a divorce."

_…THE END…_

**AN: Well, I guess I didn't kill Hitomi off after all. But, come on, you all actually thought she was dead for a while, huh? grins happily I just couldn't resist. I didn't want to give you the impression that she would come back, so, I kind of just played along. sheepish laugh And THEN I made you think Van was dead too, huh? But, he's okay now. Yup yup!!! **

**But you all liked it, right? Now that it's over, was this story all that great? hides behind rock as barrage of tomatoes fly out of no where Yeah, I didn't think so…but I didn't think it was that bad, for my first fic I mean. When I started writing it, it was going to be a typical first Escaflowne fic, but as time went on, I kind of changed things around to try and make it more unique. Anywho, I hope you all liked it.**

**I actually spent hours trying to figure out how to end this thing, but just in case you don't like this ending, here's how it really ends:**

**The Queen of Circe kills herself after signing a document of surrender to Fanelia, Celina finally manages to deal with her alter ego and live a semi-peaceful life as an aunt to Allen and Saria's children, Merle and Titus (the man she was dating whom I've changed his name) decided later on to just be good friends(sorry Moony), and a few weeks later, after the whole Circe thing has blown over and everyone has healed from their injuries, Van and Hitomi get engaged, get married, and live happily ever after and have three kids (two boys and a girl) : Folken, Balgus, and Phoebe. Hurray, hurray, oh happy day!!!**

**But, now the story is over, and I can devote all my energy to Flying High!!! I'm sure that makes many of you VERY happy. But I'll need a while to re-read my own story and try to remember what I was leading up too. **

**Thank you all for reading this story and sticking too it! I'm so happy I've finished my first short story…on fanfiction. I actually wrote another one a long time ago, but, it needs work…I may decide to re-write that one and turn it to an Escaflowne fan fic…well, we'll just see what happens…**

**Now, please review and tell me what you've all thought of this story. Is the ending okay? I don't mind complaints. I'm actually planning on re-posting this story to correct all my spelling/grammar errors. **

**Thank you Everyone!!!! And good bye for now!!! Next stop, Flying High!!! And, coming soon, Cartoon Feud (Yu-Gi-Oh comedy).**

**Shout Outs:**

**Kawaiikel: Alright, now you're famous!!! HEY EVERYONE!!! THIS PERSON RIGHT HERE IS RE-WRITING A CHAPTER NAME!!! ALL HAIL KAWAIIKEL!!! laughs I'm just kidding. Thank you for all your help and thanks for sticking with this story. Jaa Mata!!!**

**My Son Harry: I'm sending the letter to "You-know-who" the same day I post this chapter. I hope this works! Love you!!!**

**Moony: HA HA!!! THE END!!! And you thought I was going to kill Merle and Celina laughs I SOOOOO GOT YOU!!!!! :P Well, I'll see you at the Volper's house at 5!!! DON'T FORGET A SNACK!!! SUGAR!!!!!!! MUAHAHAHAHAHA……**

**Tonks: I don't even know if you're still reading this. But if you are, what do you think?**


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